Silently Deciding
by Heather Christi
Summary: SequelAngel Eyes Sora is confused about his feelings towards his best friend so he tries to deny them, turning to who he thinks is his light. This sends his silver-haired friend spiraling into depression. Can anyone break him out of it? Chap9! RikuSora
1. Mistakes

Silently Deciding  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Kingdom Heart characters.  
  
_WARNING: This fiction is a **SHONEN-AI** and in case the pairing didn't give it away, it means male/male relationships but not explicit, which is yaoi. It might be yaoi in the later chapters if I decide it to be. Don't count on it though. If you don't like this, don't read! Really quite simple. **SEQUEL TO ANGEL EYES**_  
  
::thoughts:: -'inner voice'-  
  
**Chapter One: Mistakes**  
  
Such a gorgeous sight the beginnings of dawn were. The fresh new crisp colors in the morning sky invite the sun to come out and stir everyone out from their deep slumbers and dreams. Some seagulls were making their rounds around the islands, circling them and watching the sea along with its lovers below. On a certain Destiny Island, leaning against the Paopu tree on the Paopu island, two teenage boys, a slightly older silver haired boy and a cinnamon haired boy, slept peacefully in each other's arms, unaware of the world and its events around them.  
  
It had been roughly three years ago. Three years since Sora had fought against the Heartless. Three years since Sora had locked Riku inside Kingdom Hearts. Three years since Riku had told him to take care of Kairi. When Sora had gotten back to Destiny Islands, Kairi was there, waiting for him. Remarkably, Tidus, Wakka, Selphie had survived somehow. They didn't remember anything that happened to them in those three years that had past, so it remained a mystery to them all and it left an unfulfilled void in their souls. Almost everyone had lost their parents that night the Heartless had come or sometime afterwards, except for Kairi and Selphie. Tidus and Wakka had taken the news of their parents very hard when they found out. They couldn't even remember a thing about the Heartless and the destruction of the worlds and the next thing they know they find out they don't have parents anymore. It's really sad and Sora really felt bad for them.  
  
Sora lost his parents and he was weeping inside. He wouldn't show it to anyone, placing on happy-go-lucky mask that everything was perfectly fine and he was strong, but Riku and Kairi could see he was hurting. They knew he was taking it hard but he was just barely accepting it. Even if he was accepting it, that didn't mean he had to like the fact one bit that he lost both his parents. He had hoped deep in his heart that maybe there was a chance they had survived. Sora guessed that maybe more than hope was needed for that chance; it would take a miracle.  
  
It had been about three and half weeks ago that Riku came back from the inside of Kingdom Hearts. Sora had waited close to a year for him to come back and he finally did. Kairi and the others didn't really believe that Riku would come back but they didn't mention their opinions in front of Sora. So it came to a surprise for them to see Riku again. Riku wasn't in good shape when Sora found him lying almost dead on the beach one evening. He was bleeding heavily from many different wounds all over his body. Deep gashes like claw marks were slashed across his face, which were healed easily with curaga. It took a couple of weeks to get Riku back to his normal self on the outside.  
  
Whatever was in Kingdom Hearts had torn him up, both physically and mentally. Riku had barely said anything about the events that happened in Kingdom Hearts when he was locked in there for such a long amount of time. Sora thought maybe it was too difficult for him to talk about right now. The wounds inside of him, contained in his heart and carved into his soul, were still open and fresh. Making him talk would be like pouring salt into those new wounds he carried with him. Sora would wait until Riku felt that he could open up to him, trust him like he could before. It would almost be like starting over their friendship, making them awkward and clumsy around the other.  
  
A wind blew lightly against the two boys. The cinnamon haired boy stirred in his sleep and nuzzled into the warmth that was holding him because the wind was brushing against his neck and ears, tickling him. He was VERY ticklish. That was his weakness. TICKLING! Only VERY few people knew about this weakness of his. Riku was one of the few. Sora was so irritated that Riku knew his one of his few weaknesses but he didn't know any of his. That is, if Riku even had any.  
  
_ They were only little kids at the time when Riku found out, probably around the age of six or seven. Kairi hadn't come to the islands yet and it was only Riku and Sora, just the two of them together forever. It was morning outside like today and they were walking along the calm ocean waves, side by side.  
  
Riku had spent the night over at Sora's house and they decided to get up early that morning so they could have some of the chocolate ice cream that was stored inside the freezer. It took a while to get the ice cream because they were both too short to reach the handle to the freezer door. So they came up with an ingenious plan. Sora stood on top of Riku's shoulders while Riku stood still and held him in place as safely as he could. They failed miserably a few times with Sora falling down and getting little bruises here and there, but they ended up escaping with the ice cream in hand without making too much disturbing noise to wake up Sora's parents.  
  
They were walking along the beach's waves that tried to lap at their shoeless feet, licking their frozen delights. The wind was playing with their hair, twirling it about in its possession. Riku looked over at Sora, who was busy walking and digging into his tasty treat. Sora had some of the chocolate mess on the front of his blue shirt. It was dripping down the fabric, leaving its messy trail behind. Not to mention, he had some around his mouth and on the tip of his nose. Riku had to stop walking and burst out into a fit of laughter. Sora just looked so messy, but it was so... cute.  
  
At the sound of Riku's laughter, Sora stopped eating his chocolaty treasure and halted in the middle of his walking. He frowned and looked over at Riku with his big innocent blue eyes.  
  
"What's so funny?" he asked clueless. Sora had no idea what/who he was laughing at.  
  
Riku kept laughing, trying to tell Sora the reason for his laughing fit but he couldn't make out a single syllable. That made Sora annoyed so he decided to take action instead. Sora took some of the chocolate ice cream off his cone and into his hands. He smeared the mess all over Riku's cheeks.  
  
Riku immediately stopped laughing when he felt the icy cold substance touch his warm cheeks. He stared wide-eyed in surprise at Sora, whose eyes were sparkling with mischief and happiness. This time, it was Sora holding his stomach as he burst into a helpless bundle on the ground. He was victim to his own fit of giggles.  
  
Riku smirked and got some of his own chocolaty ice cream in his hands and smeared it over Sora's cheeks. Sora withdrew back and stared at Riku with a shocked grin on his face. He grabbed some more ice cream out of his cone and threw it at Riku. It landed on top of his head and dripped down his hair, swirling with the silver locks.  
  
In return, Riku took some of the chocolate ice cream out of his hair and threw it back at Sora. It landed in his mess of cinnamon-colored hair, some of the ice cream dripping down his forehead to the bridge of his nose.  
  
Before Sora had a chance to react, Riku charged at him, knocking them both in the salt water of the ocean. They started rolling around wrestling, both of them trying to get the advantage and get on top of the other. Both of them were laughing and they were surrounded by the gentle sound of their happy laughter combining. The water had little swirls of the chocolate ice cream that had fallen or dripped off of them when they had been wrestling around.  
  
After a while, they stopped with Sora's limbs draping over Riku and trying to calm his racing heart. Their laughter turned into little chuckles and soon, into silence. When they calmed down enough, Sora rolled off of young Riku.  
  
"So what were you laughing at?" Sora asked  
  
Riku turned towards him and told him it was a secret. Sora couldn't accept that for a reasonable answer though.  
  
"Come on Riku! Tell me, tell me, tell me!" Sora pleaded with him, tugging on his baggy shirt. "Please Riku." Sora gave him the big blue puppy dog eyes and his famous little pout to match.  
  
"It's nothing. You just have some ice cream right here." Riku tapped him on the tip of his nose. He chuckled a bit as Sora started to furiously wipe away the mess on his nose. "Oh and some right here too." He poked Sora's tummy and Sora pulled back quickly. Riku stared at him mischievously. "Are you ticklish Sora?"  
  
"No! Of course not!" Sora shook his head and scooted back away from Riku.  
  
"I bet you are!" Riku challenged. He reached out and started tickling Sora, who was indeed ticklish. Sora couldn't stop the laughter that came pouring out of his mouth. He continued to laugh and tried to push Riku's hands away from his stomach, but he failed horribly.  
  
"No! Riku! Don't! Stop!" Sora breathed out between giggles.  
  
"Don't stop? Okay. If you say so." Riku continued to tickle Sora around the ribcage and stomach until he was crying from all the laughter he produced. Riku had to chuckle a little seeing that Sora was so happy. Sora's smile was very contagious. He always seemed to grow on you. He was just so... adorable in his own little Sora way._  
  
The sun was just peeking over the horizon and teenage Sora lightly stirred in his sleep as he felt the heat of the new sun's rays. Usually he was always a heavy sleeper and out cold but lately he hadn't been able to get to sleep. Something just didn't feel right anymore. He somewhat felt a sense of foreboding in a way.  
  
Sora barely opened his eyes and couldn't quite make out where he was. ::Where am I?:: His vision was a bit fuzzy and he turned to look out into the ocean and the sunrise of this morning. ::Why am I outside?:: He blew some of his cinnamon hair out of his face. Sora felt something holding him around the waist, almost possessively and very protectively too. A cool breeze swept over him and a few thin strands of silver fell in front of his eyesight. Sora's eyes widened considerably. ::It's not...?::  
  
He looked up reluctantly, hoping that maybe he was seeing things and those thin strands of silver wasn't even there at all. It was only his imagination. His mind was only playing tricks on him, right? Low and behold, Sora peered up into the pale flawless face of his best friend and rival. He lightly gasped and stared at the sleeping boy who was holding onto him tightly, not to mention he was holding him back.  
  
Suddenly, everything came back in a flood of memories; that blasted question, Riku's eyes, Riku's lips on his, Riku's hands on his flaming body, Riku's tender care, and just Riku himself.  
  
::Oh no! What have I done?:: Slowly, Sora lowered his arms from around Riku's slim neck and pushed against his chest, all the while hoping he would stay sleeping.  
  
He looked down at the silver haired boy's gloved hands that were around him. A pinkish tint colored his cheeks and he could feel his face burning. Sora struggled to get out of his best friend's hold but when he tried, the grip of the silver haired boy just tightened around him. Sora just relaxed, closing his eyes for a moment and leaned into the other's cool body. ::At least no one's up right now to see us like this. Well not yet anyway. Might as well enjoy this and go back to sleep::  
  
Riku nuzzled the boy in his lap. Sora's eyes shot open and he could feel his body tense up. His face heated up and he knew it wasn't a sunburn. ::He just had to do that:: Sora tried to pull away but grip tightened once again around his waist.  
  
"Damn it Riku," he hissed out under his breath. Sora tried to struggle some more but was halted by a low murmur of a voice.  
  
"Mmm... Sora," said the sleeping silver haired boy.  
  
Sora stopped midway in his antics and blushed. ::Is he dreaming about _me_?! Okay, I'm getting freaked. More than I was anyway:: The silver haired boy stirred in his sleep at the younger teen's tense body against him. ::Oh no! Riku don't wake up! Please don't wake up:: That was no use because fate had another agenda.  
  
Riku's content aqua green eyes met with Sora's wide and stunned cerulean blue orbs. Riku stared down at him hoping this was NOT a dream and that it was real. Sora gazed back into his aqua green eyes hoping that Riku would just fall back to sleep or something to get rid of Riku's stare.  
  
Riku reached out a free hand, keeping one arm loosely around Sora's waist and touched Sora's face, making sure he was real and not something he was just imagining, a side-effect from his dream (and what a dream it was). When Riku found out the wonderful truth concerning the angel in his arms, he smiled softly and peered down at the dumbfounded cinnamon haired boy. Sora stared at Riku and noted his smile. ::Whoa. That's a change from his normal smirk. But then again, nothing seems 'normal' anymore. It's... different and everything has... changed::  
  
"Good morning Sora," Riku spoke just as gently as his smile which surprised Sora.  
  
Before Sora had a chance to reply, Riku embraced him lovingly around the waist, bringing his gloved hands up to toy with Sora's cinnamon locks. He wondered what the strands would feel like without his leather gloves. Riku was very content and thought this would be a great way to wake up every morning. Sora froze and simply just let Riku hug him. He didn't embrace him back though and Riku noticed that as he frowned into Sora's gravitational defying spiky hair.  
  
Riku pulled back and regained a small smile on his features, although he was inwardly disappointed that Sora didn't hug him back. ::Maybe he's confused or maybe he doesn't like--:: His thoughts were cut off by Sora's voice.  
  
"Morning Riku," Sora spoke coolly and indifferently as if nothing had really happened. He was thinking that maybe if he made light of the situation then Riku would too, even though Riku wasn't known to be a follower. Then eventually they would forget everything that happened yesterday. Even though the chances were very slim, he thought it was at least worth a shot.  
  
"How'd you sleep?" Sora questioned him. Of course he remembered straight after saying that catching Riku saying his name in his sleep. Sora blushed at the remembrance and Riku noticed but didn't say anything about it.  
  
"Just fine," he said with a knowing smile on his features. "How about you?" he asked just as casually as Sora. He was inwardly disappointed again because Sora failed to acknowledge what happened between them last night.  
  
"Fine," Sora said. "Nothing really out of the ordinary and definitely not anything special." Sora could have chocked on those words when he saw a look of hurt pass over Riku's face. Riku recovered quickly though and placed on his aloof mask of indifference.  
  
-'Of course something special happened last night that was definitely out of the ordinary. You kissed him and you liked it!'-  
  
::I did not. Nothing happened::  
  
-'You can't just pretend nothing ever happened. Something did happen and you know it. What? Are you trying to lead Riku on? Are you trying to hurt him on purpose?'-  
  
Sora glanced at Riku before he lowered his head as if defeated. He didn't want to hurt Riku but he just didn't know what to do. ::Maybe I should leave him alone::  
  
"I think I should go," Sora managed to whisper out.  
  
Riku looked down at the boy in his lap for a few seconds, noticing that he seemed ashamed, before speaking up. "I think you should too so go," Riku regarded him coldly as removed his arms from his waist. "No one's stopping you," he whispered harshly that sent chills down Sora's spine. ::If he wants this not to happen and pretend it did, then it won't and it didn't. I knew it was too good to be true::  
  
Sora scrambled off of Riku's lap quickly and started walking to the bridge that lead back to shore. He turned around and was facing Riku's back. "Riku, I..." he whispered out.  
  
"Just get out of here Sora. I don't want to see you, talk to you, or anything. Leave me alone," he spoke out loud enough for Sora to hear him. He sounded as if he was under a lot of strain. Sora noted that Riku's hands were clenched tightly. ::Better not mess with him right now. I'll come back later when he's vented out all his anger::  
  
Without another word said, Sora quickly walked away from Riku as he had asked, his shoes causing the wood to creak beneath him. He was so confused right now. ::I need to talk to someone about this. Who though? Selphie? No, she'd try to play matchmaker. Tidus? Nope. He'd probably want a duel. Wakka? He wouldn't understand. One person left:: With that last thought, he ran across the beach and over to his boat at the dock to untie it loose. Sora jumped into his boat 'The Highwind' and started rowing to the main island as fast as he could. He had some things to sort out. ::I hope Kairi's up this early::  
  
** {----{End of Chapter}----} TBC**  
  
Next chapter: (I think) Misunderstandings  
  
Riku thinks over what's going on with Sora and his own feelings. Sora has a chat with Kairi. Will it lead to something more? Selphie the hyper bouncy girl comes into play soon! STAY TUNED!  
  
Please read and review... 


	2. Misunderstandings

Silently Deciding  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kingdom Heart characters or Squaresoft or Disney.  
  
_WARNING: This fiction is a **SHONEN-AI** and in case the pairing didn't give it away, it means male/male relationships but not explicit, which is yaoi. It might be yaoi in the later chapters if I decide it to be. Don't count on it though. If you don't like this, don't read! Really quite simple. **SEQUEL TO ANGEL EYES**_  
  
::thoughts:: -'inner voice'- ENJOY!  
  
**Chapter Two: Misunderstandings**  
  
Riku heard the younger boy race off towards the dock. ::Must be in a hurry to get away from me:: Riku frowned at his thought. It may have been on the right track but that didn't mean he had to accept it, much less like it. ::Did I scare him off? Maybe I shouldn't have kissed him. Maybe I should have just treasured everything I already had with him, which I didn't deserve in the first place. Ansem showed me that:: The sound of his name in his head made him coarse with anger and cringe with disgust. Riku unconsciously clenched his hands tighter. He didn't want to remember everything that happened with that piece of slime. He quickly discarded the thoughts of him and focused on the matter at hand.  
  
::Why did he want to pretend nothing happened? Am I not enough for him? Maybe he wants someone different:: His frowned deepened and he lowered his head sighing. Riku saw his hands were clenched and he felt a slight pain in his palms. A red liquid dripped down passed his wrist and made its way towards his elbow. Some of the red liquid that ran down his arm had dripped onto the sand, tainting it. He pressed his nails harder into his flesh causing more blood to flow and more pain. ::Sweet pain:: He closed his eyes but then snapped them open. ::What am I thinking?! I'm not some kind of masochist!:: Riku opened his hands and looked into his palms. The red blood was outlining all the crevices and shallow lines on his hands.  
  
Riku looked up into the colorful sky filled with the sunrise and silently prayed for a sign. A sign to help him with Sora, and figure out everything. He waited and waited until minutes had passed, thinking about how he could still feel Sora's lips on his. He'd stay in this exact same spot until his sign came to him, no matter how cruel the torture of waiting was.  
  
Meanwhile on the main island, a cinnamon haired boy was racing down a pathway to a certain girl's house, chanting in his head please be there over and over again. Finally he got to a huge light blue two-story house. Kairi's parents were into the stock market and all that business financing junk so they were always gone but lately they've stayed home and have been spending time with their daughter. They treated their only daughter like she was royalty, buying her everything and sometimes it went to her head. Hopefully today wasn't one of those days.  
  
Sora was about to knock on the door but stopped in mid knock position, with his arm raised when the door swung open. It was Kairi's mother who answered the door wearing her pink pajamas with little white coffee cups on the pajama pants and the pink spaghetti strapped top. Her curly red hair was tied up in a high ponytail but a few strands of hair were free. She had a wide smile on her face and looked very happy giddy this morning.  
  
"Oh hi Sora! How's everything going? You want to see Kairi. You can go on up. She's still sleeping but I think it'll be okay to wake her up. It's nice to see you again!" Saying this in about 5 seconds flat, Sora suspected someone had a little too much coffee this morning. Kairi's mom, Karen, was a morning person and she liked to get the day started early and of course with her warm cup of freshly brewed coffee.  
  
"Umm... thanks. It's great to see you too." Sora entered the house nervously and Karen closed the door behind him and locked it. Even though Sora had been here millions of times, it never ceased to amaze him that the house was so large.  
  
"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me!" Karen brushed passed Sora and walked down the hallway, rushing back into the kitchen without another word said. ::Okay, she needs to cut down on the coffee intake:: Sora turned the corner to the left and walked up the flight of stairs to the second floor. He walked straight till he got to the door of Kairi's bedroom. The dark purple door had posters of different J-pop artists like Utada Hikaru and a little light purple sign in the middle that read 'Kairi'. You could obviously tell who the owner of the room was.  
  
Sora put his hand on the knob, twisted and pushed the door open enough to stick his head in and look inside. "Hello? Kairi? You up yet?" There was the princess of hearts lying in the queen-sized bed with her limbs hanging everywhere. Her mouth was open and she was lightly snoring. She was wearing a light purple tank top with little tiny dark purple shorts that had little white sleeping bunny designs all over it. "And she calls me a lazy bum," he said aloud that made Kairi twitch in her sleep. A mischievous grin plastered onto Sora's face. ::This is going to be revenge for waking me up in the morning:: Kairi was another person who knew about his 'weakness'. So every morning she'd come over and tickle him until he woke up and got out of bed.  
  
Sora shut the door lightly and tiptoed over to the side of Kairi's bed. ::This is going to be good:: He breathed in a large amount of air and got ready for the wake up call. ::One, two, three::  
  
"**WAKE UP KAIRI!!! NOW!!"** Sora yelled, surprisingly didn't break any mirrors or anything. Kairi's eyes snapped opened and she cried out in surprise. You could have swore that she jumped at least a good 20 feet into the air.  
  
"Sora! What are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack or something?" she scolded him as she hung from her bedroom fan. Angry Kairi dropped down onto the bed with a bounce. "You deserve a lot of tickles for that! Just wait I'm going to get your back for that! You just better watch your back!" Kairi brushed her bangs out of her face. She walked out to her vanity mirror and picked up a violet brush and started combing through her untidy bed hair. She paused and turned around to face him.  
  
"Wait a minute. What's going on? What are you doing up so early? You're never up this early unless... You know what. Save it for later. Could you leave the room so I can get dressed?"  
  
"Kairi this is very important and this will probably scare you and you'll yell at me and tell me that it's wrong and I shouldn't do it and," Sora stopped, shrinking under the heavy weight of Kairi's glare of death. "Uhh, yeah, I'll leave the room so you can get dressed." Sora slumped out of the room, closing the door behind him. He fell against the wall in the hallway next to the entrance of Kairi's door and slide down to the soft dark blue carpet to wait for Kairi. ::This is going to take a while::  
  
While Kairi was changing, Sora was accompanied by his thoughts of this morning and the evening before. ::Maybe I shouldn't have walked away. I should have stayed and talked to him. I mean he's still my best friend, so I should be able to talk to him. Will everything still be the same as before? Maybe--:: Unexpectedly, his thoughts were cut off by Kairi emerging from her room wearing some blue jeans and a lilac purple tank top and her choker around her neck. Her hair had grown out over the years and was a little passed her shoulders and curved out somewhat like Selphie's. Kairi had gotten a few inches taller and was standing at a reasonable five foot six but she was still shorter than most of the other teens on Destiny Islands. She'd gotten more curves in all the right places and she had grown even more beautiful than before. Sora knew that there were a few people on the island who had a crush on her and that included Tidus and Wakka.  
  
"Okay Sora. What's so important?" she asked with a bright smile on her face, her hands clasped behind her back. Sora stood up off the ground and wiped off the imaginary dirt on his clothes.  
  
"I think maybe we should go somewhere else to talk about this." Sora told her. Kairi eyed him suspiciously and told him alright. Sora reached out and took her hand in his. She blushed at the contact but Sora didn't notice, or pretended not to. Sora lead her out of the house and down the pathway to the wooden dock where 'The Highwind' was. Kairi had left her boat over at the other island so they had to travel in his together. It would be a tight fit in the boat but they could manage.  
  
"You get in first and I'll get behind you and row. Sound good?" Sore suggested while he was untying the boat from the dock.  
  
"It sounds fine with me," Kairi replied. She stepped carefully into the boat and sat down gently. Sora got in sort of clumsy but once they got their sitting positions, they started on their way to the play place of the Destiny Islands.  
  
While the two were rowing out at sea, the silver haired teen leaned back on the Paopu tree with his eyes closed and his arms folded across his chest. He looked determined but very annoyed. He was patient when it came to some things but this waiting busy wasn't fun at all and it was starting to really bug him. He kept thinking did anyone care and want to send him a sign to help him or was he not worth that either. He kept silently praying every now and then to ensure that he'd get his sign, even if fate might abject.  
  
A furious wind picked up and blew strongly against all that came into its path. Riku was in the way but he was determined not to move from his spot till he got his sign that he needed. He heard a light snap above him and then felt a not-so-light something fall into his lap. He started breathing deeply, almost hyperventilating, and hoped that his sign was a good one. Riku dreaded this moment and yet he longed for it at the same time.  
  
Very slowly Riku opened his eyes and looked down into his lap. Lying there on his baggy blue jean pants was a yellow star shaped fruit from the tree above him. He unfolded his arms and picked up the fruit in one hand and twirled it around, examining it. ::This. This Paopu fruit is supposed to be my sign?:: The skin on the fruit felt soft like a velvet glove. The fruit was ripe and ready to eat. Riku squeezed gently and it was hard. He wondered if the inside was hard as well or was it soft and smooth. Riku never was too curious about the fruit and he didn't believe in the legend so why was this his sign?  
  
His thoughts were broken as he heard laughing in the distance. Riku was caught off guard by the sound and he dropped the fruit next to him in the sand. He looked around to his left and then turned to his right. Riku squinted his aqua green eyes and looked out. He saw a wooden boat coming his way and he could recognize the sound of laughter anywhere along with the other person accompanying him. It was Sora and Kairi (the reason why he couldn't believe in the legend). ::Did Sora tell Kairi about...? If they came to make fun of me of it- No! Sora wouldn't do that. What about Kairi? I've known her long too but...::  
  
-'I never did like her'-  
  
::Of course you didn't but you're me so I know what I'm feeling. Hey! When did I start having an inner voice?::  
  
-'Since you've been having troubles with your love.'-  
  
::Go away! I don't want to talk to you:: Riku threw a shoe in his mind at the inner voice and it screamed, but went away nevertheless. He smirked and realized he had to get away from the Paopu Island before they came. This would be the first place they would look for him. ::Better go somewhere safe:: Riku rushed off the island and ran across the bridge to find a safe place to hide. The Paopu fruit lay in the sand next to Riku's spilled blood. A forgotten sign...  
  
While Riku was sprinting off to find a safe place to hide, Sora and Kairi were laughing and joking around in the boat.  
  
"So Selphie did what yesterday?" he said between laughs.  
  
"Well, me and her were walking and talking. She turned around talking to me, walking backwards. She was about to tell me something when she tripped and fell down off the Paopu island, into the sea!" Kairi burst out laughing. "And she came up with a breath and said she saw a five legged fish wearing a pink and yellow tutu and she jumped in to see it! That was her excuse for falling in!" They both were laughing but all fun came to an end when they reached the dock.  
  
Sora threw the rope out and it amazingly caught onto stump on the dock, tying loosely around it. He stepped out of the boat and stumbled onto the dock. Sora held out his hand for Kairi so she could have help getting out. Kairi took Sora's hand was about to follow suit to get out of the boat when her sandals caught onto the side of the boat and she fell forward, her face falling into Sora's chest. He caught her before she fell even more and sent them both flying into the sea to be soak and wet.  
  
Kairi could feel heat rise in her cheeks and she looked up into Sora's blue eyes. Sora looked down into her violet orbs. He thought she looked so beautiful right now with her flushed cheeks and bright eyes. The morning sun caused her face shine brilliantly. Kairi thought he looked so handsome with the sun facing his back, which made him glow. It outlined his dark brown spiky hair and his cerulean eyes stood out, sparkling. He wore a light, white tank, that didn't hide any of the muscles underneath and the sun only highlighted them into more focus. He looked surprised to see her in his arms. The thought of her _–Kairi_- in his –_Sora's_- arms made her blush deep scarlet. They stood there for a while, enjoying the feeling of the other's touch. But all things soon came to an end.  
  
"Pretty clumsy of me, huh?" Kairi managed to whisper out. She gave him a small smile. "Usually that's your job, Sora." Kairi pushed away from him and pulled herself upright, dusting off the imaginary dirt on her clothes.  
  
"Me? Clumsy? Nope, you have the wrong person. That's now you and Selphie." Before Kairi could reply, Sora continued on with what he was saying. "Come on. We better get going." He took her hand in his and walked with her over to the raging waterfall. As they walked away from the dock, neither of them even noticed the silver haired teen's boat that was tied to the dock, next to Sora's.  
  
They got there in a few minutes and they sat down on a huge rock that looked more like a large boulder. Sora clasped his hands together, entwining the fingers and suddenly found the ground very interesting. Kairi watched him as he sat there playing with his fingers, staring the ground, and kicking his feet forward in silence. Kairi gently laid a hand on his shoulder and he jumped out of his thoughts, staring at her with his blue eyes filled with confusion.  
  
Unknown to them both, an angry/jealous silver haired teen sat in the tree house staring down at the figures below him like a vulture. He'd seen the 'accidental' fall down at the dock. He'd seen the looks given and they made him uneasy and something in his chest pained him when he saw the looks and the touches. He hadn't liked what he'd seen and he didn't like what he was seeing now. He didn't want Kairi to comfort Sora. Riku wanted to be the one there for him. So he was jealous. Big deal, sue him. Would you like seeing your love accepting 'comfort' from other people when it could be you making all their sorrows disappear?  
  
"Kairi, I really need to talk to you about something but I have no idea how you're going to react. I don't want you to hate me." Sora turned his gaze back to the ground; some of the clean water from the waterfall sprayed back of his clothing.  
  
"I could never hate you Sora. I never could. Do you know why?" Kairi paused. "Because you're one of my best friends and I trust and believe in you. Not matter what I'll try to accept anything you tell me. I can give you that much."  
  
Sora turned and looked at her with sorrow-filled blue eyes. He gave her a soft sad smile. He was really glad that Kairi had told him that. It made it somewhat easier but he was still nervous. He didn't know what she'd think of him after he told her. Kairi seemed to sense his nervousness because she turned and embraced him, rubbing her hands up and down his back, trying to give him support that he could say what was on his mind. Sora wasn't surprised at all and he wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him. He buried his face in her shoulder and breathed in her Kairi-ness.  
  
Up above, Riku was having trouble digesting what was happening right in front of his very eyes. He felt another pain in his chest but this time it was stronger. He could feel jealous trying to take him over. He wanted so much to go down there and tear Kairi away from Sora. Riku's hands tightened into fists, his nails pricking into his still damaged flesh on his palms, reopening the wound. The blood ran down his hands and onto the tree house floor. He didn't feel it; only the anger and the jealousy bubbling inside him like magma ready to burst. ::He's not. He can't be. Is he... is he in love... with Kairi? Is this my true sign?::  
  
Sora pulled away from Kairi and looked into her bright violet eyes. "Kairi, I'm so confused. I don't know what to do anymore. Can you promise not to tell anyone when I tell you this?"  
  
"I promise Sora."  
  
"Not even Selphie."  
  
"Have a little trust in me Sora. I won't tell anyone. Not my parents, Selphie, anyone! Okay? You have my promise." She tried to look as sincere as she possibly could. Sora studied her and then sighed in defeat. Sora took a big breath, getting ready to say what he came here to say. ::Here goes everything. Everything's going to change for here on out, even more from how it already has. Am I ready for this?::  
  
"Kairi, me and Riku _kissed_."  
  
**{----{End of Chapter}----} TBC**  
  
You're mad that I left it off on a cliffhanger huh? Well too bad! ::sticks out tongue and dodges all the shoes thrown at her:: Hehe I'm cruel but thank goodness you have another chapter to read right? You're lucky.  
  
Next chapter: Let me get this straight  
  
Kairi and Sora have their 'talk' about Riku and him and they share something between the two of them. Is Riku hearing all this?! Will Riku confront them about this and see the 'something' with his own eyes? 


	3. Let Me Get This Straight

Silently Deciding  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kingdom Heart characters or Squaresoft or Disney.  
  
_WARNING: This fiction is a **SHONEN-AI **and in case the pairing didn't give it away, it means male/male relationships but not explicit, which is yaoi. It might be yaoi in the later chapters if I decide it to be. Don't count on it though. If you don't like this, don't read! Really quite simple. **SEQUEL TO ANGEL EYES**_  
  
::thoughts:: -'inner voice'- ENJOY!  
  
**Chapter Three: Let Me Get this Straight**  
  
"Kairi, me and Riku _kissed_." Sora tore his gaze away from Kairi and stared down at the ground, his cheeks burning with embarrassment and part shame for some reason, but he was mostly confused about everything. He wondered why Riku had kissed him just because he asked what love really was. But he then remembered agreeing to be kissed. Riku hadn't forced himself onto him; he had asked if Sora wanted him to. ::Why did I agree?::  
  
Kairi sat that staring at Sora in shock after he told her that they had –_kissed_-! ::They what?! He did not just say what I thought he did?! They couldn't have... I mean, they're two –guys- and that's not... well... they just _can't_!:: "What did you say?" She continued to stare at Sora and he could feel the weight of her gaze on his body, almost like it was physically there on top of him.  
  
"I said me and Riku kissed," Sora mumbled. His cheeks had deepened even redder than before, if that was even possible.  
  
Kairi was dumbfounded and she didn't know what to say. ::So I didn't hear him wrong. My two best –_guy_- friends **KISSED**?!:: She felt like she was going to faint but she was so angry inside too. She had wanted to be Sora's girlfriend for a long time, ever since she met him years ago on the island...  
  
_ Something cold was all around and I felt like I was freezing. I could barely feel my arms and legs. They almost felt numb like they were going to fall off and I wouldn't notice or care. I didn't feel like living but I didn't know why. I called out for someone to save me and then I sank down.  
  
It felt like eternity before I resurfaced and was lying down somewhere. I felt something scratchy under me and it was getting in my cold wet clothes. I wanted to go back to the cold. I wanted to die and leave. It didn't feel like life was worth living anymore but scary thing was- I didn't know why I wanted to die. I didn't even know why but I know that I wanted to and never look back, not like I could once I was dead. Cruel fate...  
  
I opened my eyes and my eyesight was fuzzy. I could barely make out any objects. I felt so exhausted and I wanted to sleep forever and a day. I wasn't in all the scratchy stuff anymore. I was in a dark room but there was a light on the desk next to the soft bed I was lying on. 'Where am I' ran through the thoughts in my head. I was scared and I didn't know what to do. I tried to sit up but something pressed down on my shoulders and forced me back down to lie on the bed.  
  
"Stay still. Don't move. Just get some sleep because you are probably very tired." The voice was soft and very caring. It was the kind of voice that made you feel safe and welcomed. I immediately took a liking to that voice.  
  
I ended up falling asleep but waking up later when it was light outside and the room was lit up. My whole body was sore and I felt very heavy. I groaned and saw a little brown haired boy on a chair asleep next to the bed. He must have watched over me as I slept.  
  
I went up to him and got a look at him. He had a cute charm to him and I liked his hair. It was all spiky and went everywhere so you couldn't tame it. He reminded me of a lion and I wondered if he was just as brave as one. I put a hand to his cheek and his skin was so smooth. I squeezed his cheeks but he made no move in his sleep so I decided to try something else. I put my fingers on the corner of his mouth and curved his lips up making him make a face. I laughed aloud and the boy slightly stirred. I poked a finger at his belly and he moved around a lot, pushing my hand away. A mischievous grin appeared on my face, even though I wasn't aware of it.  
  
I poked his belly again and he chuckled in his sleep and again pushed my hand away. I pushed harder and his eyes snapped open. All I remember was those clear deep pools of cerulean and tickling and his voice. I'd always remember it. Forever, like it was a part of me...  
  
_ I grew fonder of the boy as the years passed and I always had a crush on him. Problem was that he was always around that Riku kid. I didn't like Riku at first and problems had arisen. I can't remember much after that or even before I met that wonderful boy. All I knew was that I liked Sora and I wanted to be with the boy who saved my life. No one else was supposed to be with him but me. I knew I was jealous of Riku but I'd never admit it to anyone.  
  
Up above in the tree house, Riku couldn't hear what they were saying because the noise of the waterfall blocked out their voices and they were speaking too softly. ::I wonder what they're talking about. Although Kairi doesn't seem to like it. Wonder why:: Riku tried to move closer to the window to see them out there and at least hear a bit of what they were saying. No such luck.  
  
"Sora... I don't know what to say. I mean, you two are my best friends." She paused and continued to stare at Sora. ::My two –_guy-_ friends but still my friends no matter what:: When he didn't look up at her, she reached out and grasped his hand in hers and squeezed gently. Finally, Sora looked at their hands that were joined and then at her face, into her violet eyes, curiously. "I want you to be happy Sora. I can't tell you what to do or anything because you have to figure out your feelings on your own."  
  
"But Kairi," Sora interrupted before she could go on. "I don't know what to do and I don't know how I feel. How can I figure it out when I don't know?"  
  
Kairi looked down at their hands connected and thought about it for a moment before she got an idea. "Sora, how'd you feel when Riku kissed you?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Sora was confused even more.  
  
"Well how did you feel about it?" Sora just shrugged at her question. "I'm going to try something but –_please_- don't get mad at me for this." Without another word, Kairi leaned forward and kissed him square on the lips in a soft kiss. Her violet eyes were shut and she was enjoying the touch of lips against hers. She'd waited so long to feel this way and she was going to enjoy it, riding it out until the end.  
  
Above, Riku clenched his fists tightly, desiring to lash out and strike something with all his might. He wanted so much to go down there and strangle her but he didn't. He couldn't tell how Sora was reacting from up this high but he figured he was probably enjoying it. ::He finally got what he wanted. He got Kairi and he can have her for all I care:: He turned away and began to walk to the entrance of the tree house to make his way down the stairs. It was time to face Sora.  
  
Kairi pulled away and was staring into Sora's wide cerulean eyes filled with surprise. Their hands were still clasped together but Kairi pulled her hand back and got off the boulder. "I think I should go now," she stated. Sora didn't reply; he just sat there and stared at the waterfall, deep in thought. Kairi decided to walk around to the cove to get some air.  
  
As for Sora, he sat there staring into the raging waterfall and the mist around the bottom where the fall met with the water surface. He couldn't think straight. Kairi's kiss made him even more confused. He didn't understand why Kairi kissed him. He thought that she liked Riku but he was wrong. Sora realized now that all along she had fallen in love with –_him_- and not Riku. ::Oh no. I'm torn apart by my best friends. What to do?!:: Sora furiously rubbed his hands in his hair, rubbing the scalp hard, so confused.  
  
"What are you trying to do? Make yourself go bald?" Sora stopped in his furious rubbing and slowly looked up after he took a deep breath in. He knew who it was the moment that person in front of him spoke up. The silver haired teen always made his heart beat faster than normal and his head go spinning. ::Not now::  
  
Sora gazed at the boy in front of him, at loss of words. Even though his comment had been playful, Riku's aqua eyes were serious. Since Sora didn't know what to say, Riku spoke up and broke the momentary silence.  
  
"What are you doing here anyway? I thought you left earlier so why'd you come back?" Anger began to bubble inside of him but he held it in and wouldn't let himself burst.  
  
::Talk about being straight forward:: Sora thought. ::What am I supposed to say? Oh Riku I was just talking to Kairi. You know, about us just kissing. Guess what she did to solve it? She kissed me. No big deal right? Simply kissing, just like me and you. Oh yeah, that was going to go over well:: So since Sora didn't know quite what to say he said the first thing that came into his mind.  
  
"I was just about to go... umm... swimming in the... uhh... waterfall?" Sora lied.  
  
"In a waterfall?" Riku stared at him with a questioning look. "Look Sora, I really don't care," he said coldly. He saw Sora's blue eyes flash with shock. Riku almost regretted doing this. _ALMOST_! But he thought this was the only way to get Sora to realize his true feelings.  
  
"I don't care that you hug and kiss Kairi." Sora's actions and emotions just stopped and only one thing went through to him. More specifically one thought. ::He saw Kairi kissing me?!:: "I don't care that you love her." The hurt expression crossed over Riku's face again and Sora clearly saw it but the next thing he said shocked and surprised the both of them.  
  
"I don't care that you share very special things with _that_ and not me," Riku said in a harsh whisper through clenched teeth.  
  
Before Sora could regain his composure, Riku had already turned and walked away from him, unable to be near him anymore without walking over, apologizing, and pulling him into a rib-cracking embrace or knocking some sense into the boy with his fists. Weakly, Sora called out Riku's name softly and he felt a sting in his eyes. He sat there for a while, staring at the place where Riku was once standing in front of him. ::Did he mean it?::  
  
Riku stomped away from Sora, heading towards the cove where Kairi was. He ran under the wooden bridge and over to a large wooden door. He opened it slowly and peered in cautiously. There was Kairi, sitting on the edge of the little plateau where they started off their races, her legs up to her chest and she was hugging her knees. She was staring into the ocean with her back turned to him. Kairi gave no sign to acknowledge his presence. She was too deep in her own thoughts, daydreaming of the kiss she just shared with the cinnamon-haired boy, whom she adored.  
  
He took a step toward her, his bare feet softly crunching on the sand below. Kairi remained still deep in her thoughts and unvocalized questions. ::Time to have some fun::  
  
"So you have fun throwing yourself at people?"  
  
Kairi jumped and turned around so fast her head was spinning. ::I didn't even notice he was there... Wait! Did I just hear him right?:: "What did you say?"  
  
"Don't play dumb, or at least dumber that you already are. I said do you have fun throwing yourself at people?" Riku said more forcefully.  
  
Kairi sat there dumbstruck. She had thought Riku was her friend, one of her best friends. She considered him a best friend just like she thought Sora was, with a few exceptions. But Riku was pretty much standing there calling her a trollop, sort of in a way. "Riku... how can you say that to...?"  
  
"To you? To someone who climbs all over the guys and wears sluttish clothes like you. To someone who flirts and is so selfish...!"  
  
"Wait just a minute Riku," Kairi said as she started to get up and wipe her clothes off. "How can you say those things to me? I thought we were friends!"  
  
At every word that came out of her mouth, Riku's anger grew and he felt like he was going to explode. He stepped forward, his face just inches away from hers. She gulped and wanted to step back but her body wouldn't obey her commands. "Well you thought wrong," Riku whispered harshly out to her. "Why would I want to be friends with lowly scum like you?"  
  
Before Kairi could retort, a loud slap sounded throughout the island, bouncing off walls and echoing into every corner in the island. Sora turned towards the sound as he heard it over the noise of the waterfall. "What the heck was that? I think I should check it out." He got up and walked quickly to where the slap had sounded from: the cove.  
  
Kairi lay on the ground, a palm to her injured cheek rubbing lightly on the fresh vivid handprint. Her eyes stung with tears from the pain of the bruising slap and the pain of seeing a once friend hurt and treat her poorly. Riku stared down at her with hatred.  
  
"That's where you belong, Kairi, on the dirty cold ground bruised and tarnished like the ugly scum you are." Riku turned away and jumped off the little wooden plateaus standing out of the water skillfully like he had down it at least one thousand times, which he had. His figure eventually disappeared around the corner to go to the 'secret' way into and from the cove.  
  
Kairi sat there on the ground, the dusty earth lifting up like smoke around her from Riku's departure, tasting a copper substance in her mouth for what seemed like forever to her. All that was replaying in her head was the abusive slap and what he had said to her, pretty much calling her a slut. ::How could he?:: More unshed tears collected in her eyes and she tried to blink them away but failed miserably. They slipped and trailed down her face, over the dark red handprint on her bruised cheek.  
  
She heard a door opening close to her but she couldn't see, for her vision was blurred with her tears. She could only make out bushy untamed brown hair and white-blue clothing but that's all she needed for her to figure out who the unnamed fuzzy figure was before she blacked out into a dark world.  
  
Sora stood there staring down at Kairi's unconscious form lying in the dirt. New tears ran down her flushed face. He could easily see a dark red handprint on her cheek that definitely would leave a mark tomorrow. "Oh my God, _KAIRI_!" Sora ran over to Kairi's body, letting the wooden door slam shut with a bam. He tried to lightly shake her awake but to no avail. ::I better get her somewhere fast. I can't take her to her house. Her parents would flip. I know! Selphie's::  
  
Sora gathered Kairi in his arms and lifted her up gently. Her arms hung limply and her head drooped forward into her chest, leaning toward Sora's. Sora was worried because she seemed too light in his arms. ::Had she been eating anything?::  
  
He quickly broke into a run out the wooden door from where he came from. Sora made it to the docks and gently placed Kairi into the boat, careful to not let Kairi hit her head or for him to slip sending them both into the water with the fishes. He managed to make room for himself, letting Kairi's back rest to his front so she was leaning against him for support to sit up. Sora untied the rope from the dock and pick up the oars, starting to row back to the main land as fast as his arms could transfer the boat there.  
  
He was going to get her to safety but he was worried that he wasn't going to make it. All through out everything he kept wondering who had done this to her. Inside himself he knew who'd done it but he wasn't going to face the facts. He didn't want to but he knew... it was Riku.  
  
The platinum haired youth sat the wooden 'boat' area, where Tidus spent most of his time, staring down at the dock and the two people making their way back to the main island. He was thinking about someway to get Sora to notice him. He had a few things in mind, but he didn't want to go through anything as bad like he had just done now.  
  
-'Maybe you went a little too far'-  
  
::I want Sora and I won't let anyone else have him. But... I want him to be happy too. If he wants Kairi then... he can have her::  
  
-'Hold it Riku! Pull yourself together! You got to fight for something or someone that you want and you want Sora! Go get him! Nevermind Kairi. Ignore her and show Sora that you're the one he needs. Convince him. You can do it'-  
  
"Great, I'm talking to myself. This cannot be healthy," he mumbled.  
  
** {----{End of Chapter}----} TBC**  
  
Please don't be mad at what I did to Kairi! I don't really like Kairi but understand where Riku is coming from. He just saw the love of his life share a kiss with a once best friend. Of course he's going to be mad but I believe that Riku's the type of person who sometimes takes things too far. He does regret it because he doesn't want to do something like that again.  
  
Next Chapter: Confusion Over Plans  
  
A yellow bouncy ball rolls into the island. Wait that's not a ball; it's Selphie! Kairi has to get taken to the main island over to Selphie's house. What'll happen to her? Are we sure this is only a little fainting spell that Kairi has or will this develop into something more? Can you figure it out? Any suggestions? 


	4. Confusion Over Plans

Silently Deciding  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kingdom Heart characters or Squaresoft or Disney.  
  
_WARNING: This fiction is a **SHONEN-AI **and in case the pairing didn't give it away, it means male/male relationships but not explicit, which is yaoi. It might be yaoi in the later chapters if I decide it to be. If you don't like this, don't read! Really quite simple. **SEQUEL TO ANGEL EYES**_  
  
Thanks to my reviewers so far with my story! I love you all! MercuryGoddess: I'm not sure if I'll have everything on the Destiny Islands. Sounds good to me. What do you think?  
  
::thoughts:: -'inner voice'- ENJOY!  
  
**Chapter Four: Confusion Over Plans**  
  
Finally after ten long minutes from the usual twenty short minutes, Sora reached the dock of the main land where everyone lived. He threw the rope out of the boat and it hooked onto the wooden stump on the dock luckily. Although, he wasn't so lucky when he attempted to get out of the boat. Sora's moves were very sloppy and he tripped when he exited the boat with limp Kairi in his arms. ::I have to get her to Selphie's fast::  
  
Sora tore down the path to Selphie's house with anxious worry. He was determined to make it to her house and damn anyone who tried to stand in his way. He wouldn't let anything happen to one of his best friends. He was so determined and too simple minded on rescuing Kairi, he almost ran into a yellow bouncy ball on the path to her house.  
  
"Whoa!" Sora attempted to stop and dig his heels into the earth but he pushed down to much and with Kairi's extra weight, he landed hard on his rump. "Oww..." he moaned out. He coughed at the dirt and dust he flung up into the air when he tried to slow down to avoid the collision.  
  
"Oh my goodness! Are you okay Sora?" he heard a high-pitched hyperactive bouncy but concerned girl. He looked up and was staring straight into the bright and shiny emerald green eyes of the bouncy girl herself, Selphie.  
  
She had changed over the years. Her shoulder length hair from before had grown out and reached down to her elbows. She tied it back into a high ponytail with a green hair scrunchie. Two of the dark brown strands in the front shaped her face. Instead of her usual yellow rubber sundress, she wore a bright yellow shirt with two green turtles on it and some short blue jean shorts. Two yellow flip-flop sandals completed her ensemble.  
  
"I'm so sorry Sora! I didn't mean-" she was cut off when she saw the unconscious Kairi in his arms. "_Oh my goodness_! What happened? Don't answer that." Selphie ran over and heaved Sora off the floor with lots of strength that suddenly came out of no where. It almost sent Sora flying. "Quick! Let's go to my house!" Selphie dragged him off running and he almost fell a couple times.  
  
While they were on their way to Selphie's house, a silver haired teen was having some trouble trying to think of a brilliant way to get Sora's attention. Although the hitting Kairi thing had proven to work, he didn't want to do that again! He was just angry! He didn't mean it. Okay he did mean some of the things he said about her dressing sluttish and being scum but he didn't mean to hurt her. Sure, he didn't like her but Sora liked her and if Sora did, then he would accept Kairi too. Didn't mean he had to like her, just accept her. No harm in that, right?  
  
::Maybe I could just say I was sorry that I hit her but is Sora going to forgive me? Maybe I should say it wasn't me who hit her but someone else. No lying would just prove that I can't be trusted. Sora wouldn't like that quality::  
  
-'Or maybe you could flirt shamelessly with him and Sora will fall hopelessly in love with you. Yeah right. He doesn't want you. You tried to kill him and you **DID **hurt Kairi. He doesn't even like you so there's no way he would trust someone worthless like you. He just gives you pity and tries to cheer you up because he's your 'friend' and he supposedly cares about you'-  
  
::But what about the kiss we shared? He accepted that so why wouldn't he accept me along with it?::  
  
-'Wasn't he the one who tried to ignore it this morning and brush it off like it was nothing? What about that? Huh? He doesn't care or want you and he never will. Face it. Why would he when he can have Kairi over you?'-  
  
Riku mentally threw a dirty old boot at that voice inside his head but he frowned as the words stuck in his head. Did Sora not want him? Did he pity him? Was he just pretending to care? No, he wouldn't. If so, what about the times when they were younger. They had given promises to each other especially a very special oath...  
  
"_RIKU!! Where are you?!?" A little crying five year old Sora was running around Destiny Islands, hoping that he would find a certain silver haired friend of his.  
  
Riku had been mad for some reason and he ran away when Sora asked what was wrong. Riku had been too fast and had gotten away from him when Sora had tried to keep up with him. Usually Riku would have been at his favorite place in the whole radius of their home: Paopu island. But today, he wasn't there...  
  
Sora ran as fast as he could to catch up to Riku but since he was left behind forgotten, Sora knew only to follow the trail Riku left in the sand with his footprints. Tears blinding his vision kept him from finding Riku a few times when Sora had to stop and wipe his eyes. He couldn't cry when he had to find Riku who was probably all alone by himself trying to handle his own problems.  
  
Sora sprinted under the bridge and halted when he saw where the footprints in the sand led to: the secret place. He slowly walked to the entrance of the 'secret' place of theirs and Sora could hear the sound of restrained weeping. He pushed away the vines that had grown over the entrance and ducked to enter, hitting his head on the rocky surface. Sora rubbed the top of his head but went inside to find his best friend.  
  
When he had gotten inside enough, little Sora could see the outline of a familiar figure and best friend with his knees to his chest, who was trying to hold himself together. Riku's philosophy had always been that men don't cry and he didn't want to be considered weak, even if he was a little kid. He had to remain strong. He didn't realize however that even the tallest and proudest mountain can crumble.  
  
Sora walked over noisily and Riku turned away, with his back facing Sora. Sora sat down behind Riku, not knowing how to comfort his best friend. He remembered that his mom would always hug him and rub her hands up and down his back in a soothing way. So Sora did just that.  
  
His arms encircled Riku's waist from behind and leaned his head on Riku's shoulders, offering any kind of support he could give. He didn't like to see Riku so sad because it made him sad too.  
  
"Don't cry Riku," he said softly in a little shaky voice.  
  
"I'm not crying," Riku replied weakly. "I don't cry." But Riku turned around and launched himself at Sora, hugging him tightly as if Sora was his only lifeline. Riku burst out into tears and wept with all his soul. Sora hugged him back just as tightly, feeling Riku's tiny frame shake with powerful sobs, and rubbing up and down Riku's back like his mom used to do to him.  
  
"It's okay Riku. It'll be okay. Tell me what's wrong." Sora could feel Riku shake his head in his shoulder, refusing to tell him his problems.  
  
"Promise me one thing Sora. Just one thing," Riku replied somewhat muffled because his face was buried in the fabric of Sora's cotton shirt.  
  
"Anything Riku," Sora softly replied.  
  
Riku pulled back to look Sora straight in the eyes with his own shiny and puffy aquamarine eyes. Sora stared back with his still teary blue eyes. "Promise me Sora that we'll always be friends forever no matter what happens."  
  
Sora didn't even take a second to think about it. "I promise," he replied sincerely with a smile on his face through his tears. Riku pulled him back into a fierce hug with a moment of hope, trust, understand, and strong unspoken friendship pass between them. It felt like their hearts had been linked together through their promise of eternal friendship. They sat there alone in the dark secret place and cried, together.  
_  
Riku thought about the memory that had replayed itself through his mind. Sora probably didn't even remember it anymore now that 'perfect' Kairi had clouded up his mind. He'd never ever admit it to anyone in the entire universe or in any of the other worlds but he was jealous of little miss princess of hearts.  
  
"I think she's going to be alright Sora," Selphie spoke gently to Sora as she patted his arm. Kairi was lying in Selphie's huge bright yellow room in Selphie's full size bed with a large green comforter with baby turtles all over it. Selphie had developed a strong love for turtles nowadays. Her yellow wallpaper even had baby turtles all over it! Someone was definitely obsessed.  
  
"Are you sure? Is this going to be something serious? What's going to happen? When will she wake up? Will she be okay by tomorrow? How is she? What's going on with her? What gave her that bruise? What-!" Sora was cut off by Selphie's hand over his mouth.  
  
"Sora... calm down! Take a breather. She's alright. I know you care about her but don't worry. It's just a fainting spell. Now get out here and get some fresh air. I'll find you when she wakes up, ok?" He didn't even have time to agree or disagree when she pushed him out the door and into the outside world, shutting her door and locking it behind him.  
  
Sora turned around and stared disbelievingly at the closed door. Selphie had just kicked him out of her house when he was worried about his friend! He felt angry for a split second before sighing in defeat and deciding to go back to the other island to get away to think about some things that had been bothering him.  
  
He walked down the dirt pathway and calmly walked over to the dock where 'The Highwind' was tied. Sora cautiously stepped in after untying the rope and picked up the wooden oars so he could row. Sora didn't even pay attention as he rowed out to sea. He had done it so many times it felt as if he could be asleep with his hands tied and still be able to row. It felt that natural and the sea had always had a strange way of calming and exciting him at the same time.  
  
Even though Kairi was the one hurt and unconscious, the only one Sora was concerned with was Riku. It unnerved and frightened him that he was thinking this way. Kairi was one of his best friends and he really cared about her. She was the one he was supposed to love, right? She was the one he was destined for, correct? She was the one he had been looking for and found so she was the 'one' for him, wasn't she? He kept thinking these thoughts about Kairi and wondering if they were truly destined for each other. Sora unnoticed that he was already halfway through his journey to the island.  
  
Meanwhile, Riku was having troubles of his own. He was leaning lazily against the Paopu tree, the palm trees shading and hiding him from the sun's rays. He was toying with the forgotten star shaped fruit that had once been lying beside his spilled blood. Had that been another one of his signs? The shedding of crimson blood? If it was, he didn't want it. He didn't want another sign. He'd take the things life threw at him without taking the easy road with these 'signs' of his.  
  
Although he wanted nothing to do with these 'signs' anymore, Riku actually anticipated the coming of another for his problem. He needed help to get Sora. ::Maybe I should just confront him and something will come to mind:: Speak of the devil (or should I say angel)... Riku heard a loud curse a few yards away. He turned and stared at a familiar form. ::Of course::  
  
"**DAMN IT!"** Sora yelled out. Today was just not his day. He had attempted to get out of the boat but instead of it being Kairi that had fallen, it was Sora. Except for the fact that she had someone to catch her. Well, Sora didn't. Normally something like this didn't bother him but his leg had also landed on a rusted nail sticking out of the wood. Not a very pleasant site. The nail had pierced his tan skin and was still attached to his right calf. The blood was staining the wood as well as dripping down his leg. Luckily it wasn't bleeding to heavy. That is until the nail would have to be removed.  
  
"Why does this have to happen?" Sora whispered out.  
  
"Because Sora some things don't turn out how we expect it." Sora looked up and was staring into the cloudy aquamarine eyes of his best friend. Riku walked over and kneeled down beside him, examining his leg. "Come on let's get you up. I've got some medicine and bandages at the tree house."  
  
Riku took his arm and pulled him up to his feet a little too roughly because Sora winced as his feet made contact with the wooden dock. Riku had noticed so he put his right arm around his waist and made Sora put his left arm around his neck. Riku did that so he could support Sora's body enough causing Sora less pain.  
  
Sora blushed at the closeness of their bodies but leaned onto Riku so his leg wouldn't have to go through so much strain. His leg felt like it was stinging because of the combination of his blood and the rust from the damned nail. He could also feel some more of his dark warm blood seep down to his shoes.  
  
They made their way slowly in uncomfortable silence across the sandy beach to the steps that led to the handmade tree house. They stopped and stared up at the winding staircase to the tree house. They exchanged looks. Riku's look was stating 'can you make it up?' and Sora's look was 'we can do this together'.  
  
Together they made it up taking synchronized steps. Riku took his right foot up one stair as Sora took his uninjured left leg up. Then after they made it up the next stair in that fashion and same goes for all the others. Slowly, they made it up all the wooden steps and they completed their mission together.  
  
Riku released Sora for a second so he could lay the old thick blanket hanging on the wall onto the floor so they could be more comfortable. Riku walked back over to Sora staring at him straight into his clear pools of cerulean eyes as if he was searching for something important. Sora stared back and Riku stopped right in front of him, their bodies very close to touching but not. Riku lifted up his gloved hand and gently touch Sora's cheek softly. Sora held onto his breath when he felt the leather material rub against his warm skin.  
  
After a silent and uncomfortable moment for Sora, Riku pulled back only to replace his arm around Sora's waist and hang Sora's arm around his neck. Riku gently lowered Sora down to the ground on his back onto the thick old blanket. Sora could feel the slightly scratchy material on his uncovered skin. Riku got up and moved away to the back of the tree house to get the supplies they needed: the medicine and bandages to wrap his gash. He returned and pulled out the med kit. Sora got a little nervous because he hated doctors and all this medical attention crap. Riku seemed to sense his nervousness because he spoke up.  
  
"Look Sora, it's going to be okay but this might hurt a little considering that I'm going to have to pull the nail out," he spoke calmly. Riku turned his gaze away from Sora to the med kit and rummaged through it in search of something of importance. "Damn! I can't find it!" That sparked Sora's curiosity but also filled him with dread.  
  
"What? You can't find what?"  
  
Riku turned back to him and looked him in the eyes. "Well... see... I can't find the pliers and so... I'm going to have to... pull the nail out... with my bare hands," Riku whispered out the last part. He didn't want to cause Sora more pain than he was already in. Riku removed his black leather gloves giving his hands air from their tight encasement. He continued to gaze into Sora's blue eyes as he did this.  
  
"Is it going to hurt Riku?" Sora said trying to hold back fear from his voice but failed.  
  
"Does it hurt now Sora?" He nodded slowly. "Well you're just going to brace yourself because this will probably hurt a lot worse. Sorry." Sora was still scared so Riku reached out and grabbed Sora's bare hands in his own, skin against skin. He laced their fingers together and squeezed it to give Sora some reassurance. It somewhat helped but he was still scared. Riku smiled down at him softly. "Sora, it'll be alright. You've been stuck in worse." A small smile graced Sora's face and he replied by nodding his head twice. "You ready?" Sora shook his head. "You trust me, right?" Am agreeable nod from the other without hesitation, giving the silver-haired youth some coinfidence.  
  
"I'll count to three, okay?" Sora nodded. "Ready Sora?" Sora nodded staring into Riku's aqua green eyes uncertainly. "One." Sora shut his eyes and Riku reached down with one hand to take hold of the nail as gently as he could but he still heard Sora hiss in a distressed breath. "Two." Riku closed his eyes lightly.  
  
All happened in slow motion from that moment, Riku leaned down with his face barely an inch away from Sora's. They could feel each other's breath on each other's skin but neither one of them dared to open their eyes to reveal their current emotions.  
  
"Three," Riku said in a husky whisper as he lowered his lips onto Sora's and pulled onto the nail, releasing its grip from Sora's calf. In pain, Sora hooked his arms tightly around Riku's waist and crushing him down on top of his own body. Riku, in turn, buried his hands into the soft fluffy texture of Sora's cinnamon hair.  
  
_ Sweet pain..._  
  
** {----{End of Chapter}----} TBC**  
  
What I meant from the words sweet pain was that their kiss may have been a means of comfort and support plus it was innocent, but there was also the physical pain of the nail incident. There was also the emotional pain of everything that had been going on in their lives at the moment but they put it aside for that second. What'll happen next?  
  
By the way, has anyone noticed that in these first chapters that I've been giving hints to scenes that appear later? Remember when Riku cut himself and then he said sweet pain. That's one. Can you figure out anymore in this fiction? 


	5. Pain and Kisses

Silently Deciding  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kingdom Heart characters or Squaresoft or Disney.  
  
::thoughts:: -'inner voice'- ENJOY!  
  
**Chapter Five: Pain and Kisses**  
  
Sora felt the stinging shoot up his leg when the rusty nail was yanked out of the delicate skin on his calf. He could feel the burning sensation all around the damaged area on his leg. He tried to cry out but he was silenced by Riku's soft lips on his own. Sora wound his arms around his waist, gripping Riku's hips hard with his hands clenched tightly. Their bodies were pressing against each other's and that caused a new thrill in Sora that he never knew.  
  
The pain was enormous and it brought unshed tears to Sora's eyes. Riku was also hurting because Sora was hurting. They were linked together by their promise from so long ago that was so ultimately strong. Riku had done the one thing he could think of so Sora could become distracted away from the pain. He kissed him once again.  
  
Riku pressed his lips harder to Sora's, which drew out a low cry of pain and pleasure from him. Riku twirled his hands deeper into Sora's cinnamon locks, tugging lightly and rubbing his fingers along Sora's scalp. The pain slowly ebbed away and was replaced by something more indescribable. Sora pulled him closer, trying to feel more of Riku's body against his. He rubbed his hands in an up and down motion on Riku's muscular back. Sora was getting that light-headed feeling again and he figured out something that scared him: he _liked_ this.  
  
Riku pulled away after a few seconds of enjoying the feeling of Sora's lips on his and he stared down at Sora's flushed face. Sora slowly opened his eyes half-lidded and smiled dumbly at Riku. He smiled back warmly and leaned down to peck Sora just once more on his rosy lips. Riku then knew how much he loved the boy under him. He promised himself to forever protect Sora no matter what.  
  
He rolled off of Sora and went back to clean his wound. Riku looked down to his calf and noticed it was bleeding heavily. Quickly he cast a curaga spell that Mickey Mouse had taught him when they were locked inside Kingdom Hearts. The cut on Sora's slowly began the process to heal and Sora's eyes snapped open and hissed in a breath of air harshly. Usually it didn't hurt that bad but Riku figured it must have been infected or something around those lines.  
  
Riku went over to med kit and pulled out a bottle of alcohol peroxide, anti-infection crème, and a roll of gauze (bandage wraps). Riku cautiously ran his hand over Sora's cut and Sora lightly gasped at the contact. He shut his eyes tightly and tried to shut out the pain. Riku poured some alcohol peroxide over the cut and it began to bubble. Sora could feel the stinging and he could hear the liquid starting to bubble, ridding his cut of any dirt.  
  
Leaning down, Riku gently blew against the liquid that was beginning to trickle slowly down Sora's ankle, relieving him momentarily of the burning sensation. This brought a low sigh from the cinnamon-haired boy and a small smile to Riku's lips for causing such a beautiful sound from his angel.  
  
Next, Riku put a reasonable amount of anti-infection crème on the wound and swirled the creamy substance around over the closing skin. This would cause the cut to clean and protect it from any diseases or infections (hence the name anti-infection). Sora felt the cooling stuff close over the damaged skin on his calf and he sighed in relief once more.  
  
After that Riku unwrapped the roll of gauze and prepared to bind the wound if it continued to bleed profusely. He lifted up Sora's leg carefully under the knee so that his leg was bent. Riku rolled the bandage loosely around the still closing and bleeding wound and pinned it there. He could see some of the crimson liquid start to bleed through but hopefully it would stop soon because of the spell he had cast.  
  
Sora's eyes were still tightly closed so Riku took advantage of the moment to lean down and press his lips softly against Sora's. He could feel Sora under him relax and lean up to press his lips harder to his own, deepening the kiss. Sora timidly wrapped both his arms around Riku's neck, responding back, sharing the kiss with his best friend. Sora could feel the silky soft texture of Riku's silver mane. He ran his fingers through the other boy's silver locks gently. This enticed a low moan in Riku's throat. Sora smiled against his lips.  
  
Riku decided he was going to have a little fun and tease Sora a bit. He nibbled lightly on Sora's bottom lip and licked the middle asking for entrance. Sora opened his mouth and granted permission but Riku just pressed his lips harder to Sora's ignoring the acceptance. That got Sora annoyed so he decided to tease Riku back. He lifted his hips up, connecting with Riku's which caused him to gasp in surprise. Riku's 'little fun' backfired. Sora took the moment to slide his tongue into Riku's mouth and taste his best friend. It was then Sora realized something.  
  
He pulled back and turned his flushed face away from Riku so he couldn't look at him. Riku on the other hand took this only as a sign that Sora needed to take a breather for a moment. He buried his face in the crook of Sora's neck, started to nibbling in various places on the smooth skin of his neck. He'd nibble in one spot a little hard and then lick over it as an apology. Sora squirmed underneath him and he lightly giggled because it was tickling him. He realized the something again and regained somewhat of his common sense because he removed his arms from around Riku's neck and placed his hands on his chest, pushing the other away.  
  
"Riku. . . _no_," Sora said weakly.  
  
Riku looked down and peered into Sora's cerulean blue eyes with his aquamarine orbs questioningly. He didn't understand. He had thought Sora had wanted this, wanted him. His face remained only a very few inches away from Sora's and he didn't remove his body off of the brunette's.  
  
"What do you mean? Why not?" Riku questioned him.  
  
Sora replied with only one simple thing that he thought would solve and explain everything to the silver-haired boy above him. "Kairi..." he said. A look of pain crossed over Riku's face but Sora missed it, either intentionally pretending it wasn't even there or actually never really spotting the look.  
  
Riku rolled off of Sora and sat stiffly cross-legged with his back facing Sora. He knew this was just too good to be true. He didn't know what to do anymore. He was being to **hate** Kairi more and more even though he tried not to. He knew Sora liked her and if Sora did, he wanted to be able to accept her for him but it wasn't _that_ easy! He didn't like her anymore! She was getting in the way, screwing everything up!  
  
"Riku... do you know what happened to Kairi earlier today?" Sora prayed that he didn't. He didn't want to assume that Riku had hurt her but he was the only one here on the island when she was being abused. Sora wanted so much for him not to be the one but. . .  
  
"Yeah, I know what happened to her," Riku said coldly. "_Who_ do you think did it?!" It was more of a statement than a question. They both knew who did it but one of them didn't want to admit it.  
  
"Riku, _you_ didn't? You didn't actually. . . hurt her, did you?" Sora sat up, crossing his legs Indian style leaning forward, anxious and yet dreading to get an answer out of Riku somehow.  
  
Silence. No answer. No acknowledgement. No reply.  
  
"Why?" Sora asked softly with his head lowered down in defeat. "How could you. . . hurt someone like her? She's our best friend," Sora looked up, his gaze piercing Riku in his back. His eyes were blazing and his vision was blinded by tears of anguish and sadness.  
  
Riku twirled around and faced Sora with his aqua green eyes matching Sora's with barely controlled anger. "**Her**?! _Best friends_?" Riku sneered.  
  
"Yes, best friends Riku! What else?! We have been best friends ever since we were young!" Sora stood up forgetting about his injured leg and ignoring the stinging pain, staring down at Riku with his arms to his sides and his hands clenched into fists from his anger. "We did everything together! We always hang out and had fun and-" Sora was cut off.  
  
Riku stood up with his face a few inches away from Sora's. He got right in his face and his aqua green eyes were flickering with anger and lust. A very scary combination on Riku's features but it seemed to cut Sora off of his rampage. "_We?!_ I didn't want it to be '**we**'! I wanted it to be '**us**'!" Riku reached out and roughly grabbed Sora's upper arms. "_Just me and you_! Best friends forever!" Riku shook him once before he embraced Sora tightly causing him to blush and he continued in a low whisper. "Is that so bad Sora? Is it so bad that I wanted us to be together? Only _us_."  
  
Sora didn't just yet return the hug. "Riku. . . look. Just because you wanted that didn't mean you had to hurt Kairi. She's our friend and she wouldn't hurt us, much less a fly." Sora felt Riku tense up so he laced his arms around Riku's waist, bringing his best friend closer to him. "And we are together Riku. Best friends. Together forever. Always." Sora closed his eyes and relaxed into the hug against Riku's warm body.  
  
"Sora. . . I don't think that just being best friends with you is enough," Riku replied softly and slowly. He didn't want to scare Sora away again but he had to tell him that. Sora looked up into Riku's aqua green eyes with his eyes filled with confusion and surprise.  
  
"Umm. . . I don't think that would work Riku. I mean we're two. . . _guys_ and well. . . I don't think that's right. I mean, we've been best friends for forever and a day. I think that if we change being that, we won't be able to go back." Sora pulled away from Riku and stepped down on his injured leg. Hissing in pain, Sora fell to the ground. Riku kneeled down to him with concern in his aqua green eyes.  
  
"Sora, are you alright?" Riku looked down and noticed blood had soaked up the gauze. ::Why isn't it closing up?:: "We need to change the bandage." Riku took out the roll of gauze and placed it beside him. He unhook the soaked bandage and unwrapped it. The last layer of the gauze was sticking to Sora's wound and wouldn't come loose by just a light tug. He peered into Sora's scared cerulean eyes. He smiled gently at him. "This is going to hurt a little bit. The gauze got caught in the top layer of your skin when the wound closed." Sora gulped nervously. ::Damn right this was going to hurt:: "I'll count to five this time but just brace yourself."  
  
"One." Sora closed his eyes tightly.  
  
"Two." Sora formed his hands in fists.  
  
"Three." Riku, not making it to five, tugged the gauze causing the wound and the layer of skin to rip. The sound of the sickly tearing of skin seemed so loud and Sora cried out at the pain. He jumped and held onto the closest thing next to him, which just happened to be Riku. Sora laced his arms around Riku's neck. He had his legs wrapped around Riku's waist and he was holding onto him for dear life. You'd think the keyblade master would have thought this little pain was nothing compared to all the other things that had happened to him. Riku blushed at the intimate position they were in. "Umm. . . Sora? Are you okay?"  
  
"Mmph mmmph mmph mmhm," was the muffled reply for Sora. His face was buried in the fabric of Riku's red tank top so his reply was very inaudible.  
  
"What was that Sora?" Riku rubbed his hands up and down Sora's back, soothing and calming the poor boy. Sora lifted his face from Riku's shirt and translated what he just said.  
  
"I said that really sucked Riku," Sora repeated. He buried his face back into the fabric of Riku's shirt. Riku chuckled and he head something coming from Sora that sounded like 'it's not funny and you didn't count to five, you meanie'. A lightbulb went off in Riku's head and he got an idea that might be interesting to test out.  
  
"Maybe I can help make you feel better," Riku said seductively in a slightly husky voice. Sora looked up in curiosity with tears in his bright cerulean eyes.  
  
"How?" Sora questioned him.  
  
"Like this," Riku responded. He lowered his face down to Sora's so that their lips were barely an inch away. Riku waited for Sora to abject or move away but he didn't. Sora couldn't move even if he wanted to because one: his body wouldn't let him and two: Riku's aquamarine eyes seemed to be hypnotizing him. Riku moved forward and brushed their lips together, just teasing Sora a little bit. He pulled back and stared it Sora's clear pools of cerulean eyes. Sora blushed but finally his body let him do as he pleased.  
  
Now he had a choice that would affect the outcome of everything. He could either move in to kiss Riku or he could pull back and walk away from everything. What was his choice? What was he going to choose?  
  
**{----{End of Chapter}----} TBC**  
  
I love teasing you people with cliffhangers. I know it's wrong but it's so much fun teasing you all. I'm going to leave it off here but review and I'll post the chapter sooner. By the way, another little hint from the last chapter. Remember how Selphie told Sora to take a breather and now Riku was the one to think that in the middle of the kiss.  
  
NEXT CHAPTER: What has Sora done? What has Kairi done? I think it's time to bring in Wakka or Tidus! Your vote! So much fun! By the way, this fiction is going to have some Tidus and Selphie moments! So cute! I love them together! Now who to pair Wakka up with?? Maybe an OC.


	6. Decisions, Decisions

Silently Deciding by Heather Christi  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kingdom Heart characters or Squaresoft or Disney.  
  
::thoughts:: -'inner voice'- ENJOY!  
  
**Chapter Six: Decisions, Decisions**  
  
"Riku," the brunette boy breathed out. His arms were wound around Riku's neck. He was afraid of coming to a decision and he was also confused on what decision to make. Whatever Sora decided to do would be drastic and turn out the wrong way. If he chose to kiss Riku and be with him, what would the whole island think about the whole scenario? What would Kairi do when she found out? Wouldn't it break her heart to know her two best _boy_ friends were carrying on in a romantic relationship without her consent and/or knowledge?  
  
But if he chose _not_ to kiss Riku and chose not to be with him, he would break his silver-haired buddy's heart and Sora didn't want to cause Riku anymore pain than he already had to lug around inside of him. Which ever decision was made, Sora couldn't win this one. Someone was going to get hurt and he couldn't do anything but be the bearer of bad news. Just his luck. Why him?  
  
The cinnamon-haired boy buried his face in the crook of Riku's neck and just held onto him tightly, needing support and guidance to make a reasonable decision, something he thought wasn't an option at the moment. He needed help and he needed it quickly before he did something he would regret later. But there was no turning back from where he was now. Sora was in Riku's arms, wanting love and comfort, confused and frightened, without a clue what to do about his decision but he knew he had to make one. That is now and his decision must be final.  
  
The azure eyed boy felt two arms circle around his waist to bring him closer, if that was possible. Sora still had his legs wrapped around the other boy and was clinging onto him desperately, not wanting to ever let go but he still knew, in the back of his mind, he was going to have to.  
  
"Sora," Riku spoke, breaking the pregnant silence that filled the air moments ago. He pulled back, his silver hair grazing across Sora's cheek, and stared into his cerulean eyes. They reminded him of the ocean, but this time instead of the calm and serene waves, there was a raging storm of inner conflict and confusion. Riku frowned as he looked into Sora's eyes. He was worried about his angel. ::Maybe it was too soon to tell him I wanted him more than just a friend. I was rushing it too fast. I mean, I only kissed him a few times. He's not ready for a commitment quite yet. Then again, I have been his friend since we were very little. But that's just it. I was **only** his **friend **and I was nothing else to him::  
  
Riku was about to open his trap and abject to a few certain issues that came to mind (namely about him and Sora ever continuing this romance fantasy) but that was before he felt Sora's warm mouth pressed against his own. The silver-haired teen was overjoyed. Sora had picked him and they were going to be together for all eternity! He was alright with everything that happened. Sora didn't want Kairi after all. It was only him that Sora wanted, only him! Riku removed his hands from around Sora's waist and buried them into the fluffiness of his cinnamon locks of hair. It took a few moments for Riku to realize this but. . . _Sora wasn't kissing him back_.  
  
This wasn't a kiss out of passion or love. It wasn't a kiss of fondness and affection. It wasn't a kiss out of longing or need. It was a kiss filled with sorrow, apology, and sympathy. It wasn't by any means a symbol of Sora's pure and total devoted love. It wasn't a kiss to express feelings without unnecessary words. It was only a kiss to supply a last and final farewell to the romantic fantasy that would remain only that: a fantasy, not in any way related to reality.  
  
Riku pulled back from Sora and looked down to stare into his cerulean eyes filled with a range of different emotions all generating the same message: _I'm sorry_. Riku felt suddenly cold and he felt disgusted, not only at himself, but also for the cinnamon-haired boy he had in his arms. He felt exposed and used like an old rag doll tossed aside after a satisfied play session. He didn't want to be near the Keyblade master at the moment and obviously since Sora's decision was already made, the other boy didn't want to be close to him either.  
  
The younger of the boys felt limp arms fall from around him body; he was no longer contained and captured in their surprising gentleness and warmth. His legs were still wrapped around Riku's waist, clinging to him, and his arms were still wound around his slender neck. He felt a chill run up his spine as he stared into the unrevealing and concealing aqua green orbs of his '_best_' friend. Something didn't feel right and he felt almost regrettable as he stared into the silver-haired teen's eyes, not registering the intensity of his ultimate decision.  
  
The silver-haired boy broke the connection with their eyes, lowering his head down to his chest. Sora felt something take hold of his heart tightly when he heard an almost inaudible sigh escape his companion's lips in defeat. He couldn't bare the thought of his '_best_' friend in such a crisis, and what was worse; Sora had put him in the situation he was now facing.  
  
-'You don't deserve him. He deserves so much better than you and you know it. Face the truth sooner or later because he's not going to be your '**BEST**' friend anymore. He's going to realize you're not worth anything and leave you. You deserve to be left alone. Look at Riku. He doesn't deserve to be like this. _You_ do'-  
  
Sora didn't even protest once at his "inner voice's" view on the subject. But wasn't it his view too because it was his inner voice so that meant it was a part of him. And if his inner voice was a part of him, then he must know deep down that he is meant to be alone, without Riku along side him.  
  
"Riku," the younger boy stared to speak. He tipped Riku's chin up to look him directly in the eye while he spoke. He suddenly lost his nerve and gasped when he stared into the aqua green orbs filled with many emotions. His eyes were so full of pain and hurt, longing and need, sorrow and confusion, and betrayal and anguish, but also disgust that was partly directed towards him. Sora felt the prick of fresh tears in his eyes but kept telling himself not to cry in front of Riku. If anyone had to right to cry, it certainly was not him.  
  
The brunette didn't know if he should reach out and comfort his 'best' friend, the one who was supposed to be with him forever. They were supposed to be together for eternity and look out for each other, not stabbing each other in the back. They were supposed to be having fun all day long, not feeling inner pain so strong that it could kill you. They were supposed to be able to settle everything, not destroy one another. Is this how it was going to be?  
  
Sora decided to reach out and hug Riku to him. He could feel the silver-haired youth instantly stiffen in his arms slightly. He knew he was not going to be embraced back but he didn't care about that. He only wanted Riku to stop being so miserable. He didn't mean to cause him pain. Sora hated seeing him in pain. He was just. . . trying to make things right. The brunette ignored Riku's attempts to push him off; he just kept holding him tightly. He wanted to offer comfort to the young lad but it seemed as if he wanted to wallow in his anguish and misery.  
  
"Riku, please," Sora breathed out. "Just listen to me for a minute. Just a moment. That's all I'm asking."  
  
The oldest of the boys stopped his weak attempts in struggling and just sat there, not pulling away but not leaning into the embrace either. "Why should I listen to you?" the silver-haired boy whispered out harshly.  
  
"I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't mean to. . ." Sora began. He was cut off as he was shoved to the ground on his rump from a strong push. The cinnamon-haired boy looked up to stare up in shock at his former companion, who was now standing and staring down at him in disgust. The emotion in his eyes still made the brunette gasp with surprise.  
  
"If you were so damn _sorry,_ you wouldn't have done what you did, now would you of?" Riku snapped. The silver-haired boy started walking towards the exit of the tree house. He stopped in mid-stride to turn around and glare as his former 'best' friend in pain. "If you didn't mean it, you wouldn't have done it in the first place Sora. **Just leave me alone for good**. That's all I'm asking."  
  
_With that, the silver-haired teen turned and left the brunette alone, the  
  
way he was meant to be._  
  
"You're awake! Finally!" Selphie exclaimed giddily. She almost launched herself into the barely conscious arms of the red-haired teen. "I'm so happy you are! I've been worried sick! Do you know you've been out of it for probably three or two hours?!" The poor red-haired girl was being shaken by the shoulders by the turtle-obsessive brunette.  
  
"Selphie? Could you please stop shaking me? It's giving me a headache," Kairi spoke up meekly. The hyper girl instantly stopped shaking the dazed redhead and embraced her tightly around the slender waist. "Okay, Selphie. Can't breathe. Need air," Kairi said with a strained voice.  
  
Selphie gave her a sheepish grin and pulled away to stand next to her bed that Kairi was laying on. "Are you feeling better now Kairi? You gave us quite a scare."  
  
"Us?" Kairi questioned curiously, closing her eyes in exhaustion.  
  
"Why Sora of course, silly! He's the one who brought you here to my house when you fainted. You're lucky he was there with you. Why did you faint anyway Kairi? Have you been skipping meals again?" Selphie spoke in an accused and worried tone. Her face was very close to Kairi's and she wanted answers.  
  
"Selphie. . . it was nothing really. It must have been the heat that got to me," Kairi made up. The brunette knew that the redhead was lying but she left it at that and sighed. "Hey, you said Sora brought me here. Well, where is he now?"  
  
Another sheepish grin from Selphie's part. "Umm... I told him to go outside and I would get him later. Do you think it was a good idea to let him go? I mean what he's attacked by those five-legged fish with pink and yellow swimsuits! Those things are dangerous! I hope the turtles are safe too." Kairi was already dozing off thankfully because if she had spent another few minutes talking with Selphie, her sanity would be highly at risk.  
  
Meanwhile, back at the play Destiny Island, Riku was sitting at the Paopu island wondering about the recent events and what the hell he should do about them. It didn't seem real. He was hoping it was just a nightmare and he'd wake up in a cold sweat, but still friends with that lovable brunette of his. He silently hoped but that's all it was: hope. It wasn't reality. **_THIS_** was REALITY! His 'best' friend _**hadn't**_ chosen him!  
  
Riku unknowingly curled his hands into fist, his nails biting into the flesh of his palm where previous wound marks had been present. His fingers rubbed against some surface that felt velvety and smooth. He looked down and saw the Paopu fruit from before laying there in the tainted bloody sand as before. He frowned as it brought back the hidden emotions from before and just quadrupled the depressing feelings he felt now.  
  
-'Face it Riku. This world doesn't want you to be happy and neither does Sora. You are the one alone and Sora will just run off to be with Kairi. Hell, he even chose _her_ over you! That shows how worthless you are. Your own 'best' bud betrayed you. That oath you made was nothing but bullshit. Face the truth my man. Emptiness is the life you are going to be living forever. Alone and with no one to talk to or love. You don't deserve love, you worthless spineless _coward_!'-  
  
The voice ringing in his head got to him. ::Maybe it's the truth. Maybe alone is my destiny. Then why be living in the first place. I have nothing to live for. I lost Sora to her. He was my life and my eternal love. My love is only wasted. I have no family or friends. Why didn't I just stay in Kingdom Hearts and rot there rather than be here and only waste away, watching my angel... no, he's not mine. I can't call him mine. He's now with Kairi and forever he will be. Nothing I do or say can stop this. Why not just end it now? _I'll give it by the end of this week_ and if things don't look up, I'm ending it forever. I won't be a coward anymore. I'll face my destiny and if my destiny is to burn in the depths of hell, wallowing in hatred and despair, I shall embrace it without a moment's hesitation:: Riku made a silent promise to himself. He'd give life one more chance to make things right, but would it really be?  
  
The silver-haired youth reached out for the forbidden fruit, much like Sora, and tucked it away in his pockets for safe keepings. He stood up from the beach's sand and dusted his blue jeans clean of dirt. He stared off into the horizon where the ocean seemed to go on forever, just like Sora's clear cerulean eyes that seemed so endless, he could lose himself countless of times in them. But he had to stop thinking of Sora! He was no longer a part of his life, or what was left of it! He was putting himself into fate's hands now, unafraid, and it was all up to fate to see what became of him. It was only the first day of the week anyway. It was Sunday and early Sunday of the following week would be the outcome for everything. It was unknown to everyone of what fate had in store for him and the others.  
  
Riku turned away from 'his' island and started walking wherever his legs would carry him.  
  
The abandoned cinnamon-haired boy lay on the floor of the handmade tree house with tracks of salt water rivers running down the surface of his warm cheeks. His face was flushed and his eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. He was hugging himself in a fetal position, thinking about what had just happened.  
  
::I lost him for good. Why did I have to go and destroy what we had? I'm so stupid. I can't believe I did that to him! He's one of the most important things in my life, if not the most important and I treated him like that! He deserves better! Why did I have to toss him aside like he was nothing? I'm so sorry Riku! I'm so sorry. I want you to forgive me but isn't it too late to make amends with you? Isn't it already said and done? We can't go back and change everything. The truth still stands and the truth is that I led you on and them dumped you like trash! I'm so sorry Riku. Please forgive me! I need you to forgive me. Why don't I just admit it? I need--::  
  
His thoughts were cut off and forgotten by the sound of a pair of loud voices coming through the two windows of the tree house. It sounded as if they were arguing but of course, he recognized them after a moment. It was Tidus and Wakka. ::Why'd they have to come and show themselves on the island already?::  
  
He brought himself to his feet, wiping away the remains of his tears. Sora couldn't wipe away his bloodshot eyes or his depressed look but he was going to have to face the music sometime. He just hoped Riku wasn't out there right now. ::I need something to distract me from everything! That's what I need. Maybe blitzball can be a use for a distraction for a while. I just hope this works::  
  
Sora took a step but pain shot up his leg, making him wince and fall to the floor of the tree house in a yelp. "Okay, this may not be that easy." It took a while hobbling out of the tree house and down the stairs, but finally after ten minutes, Sora made it down and was staring into the brown eyes of his pal, Wakka.  
  
"Hey! What's happening man? What's up with your leg? Did you bust it, ya?" he asked clueless.  
  
"Just a little bit. I got hurt down by the docks when I fell onto a stupid nail sticking out of the boards," Sora explained, seeing the horror on both of his friends' faces. "It's okay. I got it healed with the medical stuff in the tree house," he explained again, wincing when he spoke the word 'medical'. His friends' faces instantly showed signs of relief for their buddy. Luckily though, Wakka and Tidus weren't smart enough to piece together a question concerning, if he got hurt down by the docks, how'd he make it up to the tree house with no trouble. He was fortunate enough for that.  
  
"So I guess that means we won't be dueling you or playing blitzball any time soon, huh?" Tidus asked.  
  
"Seems that way," Sora replied.  
  
"SORA!!" yelled a voice farther away. The brunette turned around and was surprised to see two emerald eyes gleaming into his own cerulean orbs. He jumped back and was staring into the face of the hyper bouncy girl herself, Selphie. She started laughing at Sora's surprised expression. "Sorry about that! Just wanted to tell you something."  
  
"It's okay Selph, now what were you going to tell me?" asked Sora. He received a sheepish grin.  
  
"I have no idea," replied the turtle-obsessed girl. This caused the cinnamon-haired boy to face falter. "Don't worry though. I'll remember in a minute! Hey! What happened to your leg? It was fine when I saw you earlier. Can I see it? Maybe I can cure it with a potion or something. I know kisses can cure it so go find... that's it!! I remember now! Kairi! That's what I meant to tell you. Something about Kairi!" Sora immediately turned his attention to her again.  
  
"What? What about Kairi? Is she alright? Is she okay? What happened?"  
  
"Sora! Hold it for a moment! All I remember is something about Kairi at my house. Go see her while I stay here and take your spot for the blitzball game." When she said that, the two blitzball champs stared at Selphie in horror. She didn't know anything about the game. They looked like they were going to protest but didn't have time as Sora rushed off, hobbling in the direction of the docks. He was going to get to Kairi. Maybe she was awake and waiting for him to come to her. Question was _what else_ was waiting for him there.  
  
** {----{End of Chapter}----} TBC**  
  
Chapter seven will be having three parts to it. It's going to be BIG! HUGE! GIGANTIC! And possibly very long, full of angst and possibly stolen kisses. STAY TUNED! 


	7. Awaken the Conflicts: Part 1

Silently Deciding  
  
I'm terribly sorry for the entire wait but weeks turned into months and suddenly it was Febuary with my readers without new chapters. Don't worry, you have a big one here. This is just the first part of it. There should be around three parts for this chapter so you'll be reading a lot. I plan to work on this during my spare time. Thanx for the reviews, even though I partly feel that I don't deserve them.  
  
::thoughts:: -'inner voice'-  
  
**Chapter Seven: Awaken the Conflicts**  
  
_Part 1: Underneath the Mask_  
  
The indifferent cool façade didn't stand a slight chance against the earth-quaking emotions emitted from his beloved angel that was shivering with rage beneath his own body causing his mask to crack and quiver for a moment, sliding past his careful and calculated motives, going unnoticed by either of the boys before reverting back to its normal mask and station. How he wound up in this position with Sora was not a mystery, but more of a mistake and accident than anything. That didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the feeling of his body lying against the other warm form that he wanted desperately to be his without a question of a doubt.  
  
But now, as he was sprawled deliciously on top of the cinnamon-haired teen, gazing into the hypnotizing azure eyes with his angel glaring angrily back at him with the intensity of a hurricane, the older youth had to analyze the situation and figure out how everything had suddenly gone from _bad to worse_...  
  
"Damn it!"  
  
Sora quickly exited his tiny boat not as carefully as he planned because he landed ungracefully on his behind after getting his injured leg tangled with the rope as he tried to tie to the boat to the dock. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as well as he hoped and he was now hissing in pain and cursing loudly at the situation he had found himself in. The stupid wound had reopened causing blood to leak out of the gauze (bandage wrap) that Riku had so _kindly_ done for him up inside the confinement of the handmade tree house.  
  
The boy got up as quickly as he could, trying to ignore the stabbing and aching pain in his leg, anxious to get to Selphie's house where Kairi was lying unconscious. He wanted to be there when she woke up and he wanted to make sure she was okay from the man-handling that Riku had given her.  
  
Feeling a boost of energy from the anger he had quickly concocted up from the thought of Riku's abuse on his dear friend, Sora's legs moved into a fast walk and then gradually into a long stride, even if the pain from his new accessory on his leg was driving him slowly into more madness and aching. Riku could take the time to heal him but he could also waste his precious life hurting good people he gratefully had in his life like Kairi.  
  
The chaotic rhythm of his feet smacking across the warm ground as he ran, stole the energy from his body but he wasn't going to give up when he was so close to seeing Kairi again for the first time in hours. It was already noon and the sun was raining heavy rays of heat onto his lean frame, claiming his body with exhaustion. No matter what though, even if he felt the fatigue from the sun or from his wound, the thought of his best friend inflicting pain on Kairi was enough to drive him harder and faster down the trail to Selphie's house.  
  
Catching sight of the familiar two-story maple-colored house known as Selphie's home, Sora sped up with the last of the little strength he had, eager to meet up with his friend once again. ::I'm going to get there and see Kairi. I hope she's okay. She better be after what Riku did to her or I'll make him sorry for what he's done to her. She didn't deserve that. What gave him the right to treat her so unfairly?! I'll hurt him for hurting her and then he really will be sorry::  
  
Sora burst into the house, not worrying about the consequences of his actions (he knew that Selphie's parents were not home at this hour) about breaking and entering, and stormed upstairs to the bouncy girl's room where Kairi was resting. He heard something clatter to the floor inside and at the moment, he had to hesitate his further actions. Sora felt all his anger slowly dissolve away, leaving him feeling tired and empty. But that was quickly resolved when he placed his hand on top of the doorknob, twisted it and pushed the door open, seeing the scene before him. _Riku was standing above Kairi's body, glaring down at her in hatred, holding a sharpened knife that was ready to plunge down and rid her body of life!  
_  
"Sora, it's not what it looks like!" he cried hastily.  
  
The said boy then let out a noise of doubt. "Sure! My eyes are mistaking me. I'm hallucinating. You're not holding a knife right now, about to **kill** Kairi!" he replied sarcastically, disbelief and anger etched in his voice.  
  
"I know this looks pretty bad right now but you have to _believe me_!" Riku shouted desperately.  
  
**20 Minutes or So Ago...  
**  
::I guess I just have to face it, even if I don't want to believe this is the way it's supposed to be. I just don't understand him right now. One moment he'll kiss me and the next, he'll shove me away, denying having feelings for me. But is that true? Is it true that he doesn't love me? Even if it is, I wouldn't hate him. I can't hate him, ever::  
  
Riku was running down the worn path on the main island with his platinum locks plastered to the sides of his face that were sticky with his sweat. The wind made his face feel cool but he could feel the heat of his skin from his exercise. His shoulders ached from all the muscle strain in his arms and his legs felt heavy but he didn't want to stop. If he stopped, it would prove he was weak and he had to stay strong. Sora wouldn't want him to be weak. Then again, he thought Sora had felt the same for him and he was wrong so why wouldn't he be wrong this time. Even if it was true, Riku wouldn't hate him for it.  
  
He stopped as he came to a cross section. He could either go right or left. Left lead down to Tidus' house, whom he had seen meet Sora and Wakka at the play island so that way was no use. Looking over to the right, Riku felt a slight pull, urging him to go forth in that direction. He wasn't too eager to comply but he had to other choice except to turn around and go back or head forward.  
  
With his destination chosen, Riku took a few steps to the right and he was on his way.  
  
He decided to walk the rest of the way to examine his jumbled up thoughts. The questions in his mind were racing and went unanswered. If he wanted a reply to the interrogating questions in his head, he would have to find other ways than contemplating his and Sora's recent actions. He wanted to know why Sora would push him away. Was he scared? But if he was, the younger youth wouldn't admit it unless he had to. Even if he ever did, Riku doubted that Sora would ever tell him first. He'd tell Kairi before him. Would he always place in second?  
  
-'You could always get rid of her. Save yourself from this misery and kill the stupid girl. With her out of the way, you can move on and be with Sora'-  
  
::No, Sora would be horrified if I did that and he would be depressed. I can't take her away from him. I can't be selfish and have him only for myself. If I can't be with him, then he's better off with Kairi. Maybe he knew that already. Maybe that's why he pushed me away; to be with her::  
  
Riku stopped in front of the light-brown house and momentarily eyed it, suspiciously. ::Why would someone or something want to lead me here?:: But beyond his better judgment and previous thought, he turned the doorknob and pushed the door opened easily, peeking his head inside to have a look before entering the home fully. After his short inspection of his friend's house, Riku stepped into the silent house, closing the door behind him with a soft creak.  
  
"Hello?" he called out, cupping his hands around his mouth to magnitude his voice louder than usual. "Is anyone home?" Silence was his only answer. He lowered his hands and took a look around. To his left was the living room, to his right was a hallway, and in front of him was a long staircase up to the bedrooms. Riku knew his way around so he climbed slowly up the staircase, keeping his left hand linked with the banister.  
  
The said youth reached a door with little turtles and duckies on it. ::So she's turned to the duck side now?:: He had no idea what he was doing here but still he allowed the pull to guide him into the room. He closed the door behind him softly and the force controlling him was gone. He was left standing there, in front of Kairi's unconscious form.  
  
Riku walked over to the front of the bed where Kairi's head lay. Her violet eyes were closed and her face was pale but gradually regaining its color. On her cheek was the bruising mark Riku had bestowed upon her. He felt himself fill up with guilt. He did this to her. It was his fault. The sight before him made him feel even less worthy of Sora's love. If he was capable to do this to her, he could definitely turn on Sora, injuring him too. How couldn't put his angel in that danger? It wouldn't matter anyway because in a matter of days, his threat to life would be gone and so would his life.  
  
He looked down at the small dresser next to the bed. On top of it was a plate carrying a bagel, cream cheese, and a knife that Selphie had lain out for Kairi if she got hungry when she woke up. He surveyed the sharpened knife somewhat anxiously, wondering if he could just end his life right now, wondering if anyone would miss him. Riku looked back a Kairi's lifeless body and guilt overtook him once more.  
  
::After what I did to Kairi, I don't deserve to live. Sora knew that and he pushed me away because I was filthy, dirty, to him. I'm a traitor. I hurt Kairi purposely. He's probably disgusted by the sight of me and maybe even the thought of me. He probably thought that pushing me away physically would block me out, help him forget about me. If I killed myself, I'd save him the trouble of pushing me away. He could forget. I could be able to give him something. He could be happy again and he can... be with Kairi::  
  
The aquamarine-eyed boy reached for the plate but not as gracefully as he hoped because it all tumbled to a mess on the floor. The bagel rolled underneath the bed, the plate landed with a clatter, and the knife's tip almost landed on his foot but he luckily moved it just in time. He didn't know why he bothered to do that if he was just going to kill himself. Riku bent down and picked up the knife carefully, twirling it slowly in his hands, letting the light catch off the blade. It was beautiful. He looked back down at the sleeping girl with hatred; the emotion was aimed for himself. He hated what he had become. ::This is it. I'm ended it::  
  
Before Riku could do anything, the cinnamon-haired boy burst into the room, staring at the other in shock and fury. ::What's Sora doing here?!:: Riku looked down at the girl in the bed, at the knife in his hand, and then at his love. ::Oh no! He's going to get the wrong idea!::  
  
"Sora, it's not what it looks like!" he tried to explain. ::Please listen to me. Please trust me::  
  
"Sure! My eyes are mistaking me. I'm hallucinating. You're not holding a knife right now, about to **kill** Kairi!" the angel replied. His azure eyes were flaming with rage, disgust, and resentment.  
  
"I know this looks pretty bad right now but you have to _believe me_!" Riku shouted desperately. He turned to lower the knife onto the small table but Sora thought he was going to do something different because he shouted out, stunning Riku's actions.  
  
"Don't you dare move, you bastard!" Riku turned back to face Sora with a look of surprise on his features. "First you hurt Kairi," at this, Riku lowered his head. "And now you're trying to kill her. How--?!" Riku's head snapped up, meeting Sora's eyes. The other boy took a step back and gasped, shocked at the hurt expression in the older youth's usually calm eyes.  
  
"I _wasn't_ trying to kill her Sora! I wouldn't take her away from _you_!!" He yelled at Sora. Riku took a step forward and the Keyblade master stepped back, trying to get back from his 'best' friend he had accused of murder. "How could you think that I would do something like that?!"  
  
The cinnamon-haired boy seemed to regain his nerve because he shouted back at his rival. "What am I suppose to think? **YOU** were standing over her with a **KNIFE**! Doesn't that seem a bit odd to you?! Walking in on someone who you thought was your friend about to **kill** one of your other friends!!"  
  
Riku just bowed his head down and turned away from Sora, to face Kairi. This left the azure-eyed a little dumbstruck. "I don't expect you to understand Sora."  
  
"Bullshit Riku! Don't give me that! And don't you **DARE** turn away from me!! Face me!" Sora reached out and grabbed hold of the other boy's shoulder, forcefully turning him around to glare into his eyes, trying to decipher a glimpse of his emotions, but Riku just kept his head down and out of view. "You won't push me away so easily Riku!"  
  
The said youth turned his face up to meet Sora's, leaving their face only inches apart. Their eyes were both flickering dangerously. "_ME PUSH YOU AWAY_?! I distinctly remember you turning your back on _ME_! Why the hell shouldn't I do the same to you?! What makes you think _YOU_ don't deserve it?!" The cinnamon-haired boy let go of his shoulders and tried to back away but Riku grabbed hold of his upper arms, keeping him in place. "Don't you _DARE_ think you can get away after what you said?! If I _CAN'T_, then _YOU_ surely can't either!! You will **FACE ME**!"  
  
Sora was frightened out of his wits. Riku was terrifying him and his emotions were displayed out so clearly and vivid. He never thought he would see his friend is such a position. What was worse was... he made him this way. He was feeling guilty for teasing and treating Riku so unfairly like that. First, he gives him what he wants, but then the next day, he snatches it away like his feelings meant nothing. He didn't understand how Riku felt. Riku had a right to be mad at him. But wait—_THAT DIDN'T GIVE HIM THE RIGHT TO TRY AND KILL KAIRI!  
  
_ Riku saw many emotions fall over Sora's face like he was made of clay, changing at every mold of a person's hands. He looked scared of **HIM!** Did he really look like a monster? Did he have a crazed look on his face? Did it look like he was going to hurt or kill Sora? Then Sora looked blameworthy, like he was responsible for everything. ::Why would he think that? I'm the one to blame. If I hadn't pushed myself onto him, he would have never felt pressured to respond back. I'm a bastard for doing that to him:: Next, Sora looked like **HE** wanted to murder someone and that someone was Riku!  
  
"You better be damned that I'm going to face you! You deserve to rot in hell for trying to harm Kairi, which I'll point out that you already have. You better have a good reason for doing so because I don't see any reason for you to hurt her!! **DAMN YOU**!"  
  
The platinum-haired boy leaned forward, pressing him face very close to Sora's, not leaving lots of room to breath. "I did it because she deserved it. She touched _my_ angel!!"  
  
Sora blinked at Riku's statement. He wasn't expecting that to come flying out of Riku's mouth and his eyes were so sincere that it made his anger just disappear like it was never there to beginning with, but it was there. The bruises on his arms from Riku's strong grip were enough proof of their impulsive actions in their fury.  
  
Tears started to build up and glisten in the azure eyes of Riku's love. He didn't know if they were tears of pain or anguish but when Sora dropped his head down not to gaze at him anymore, he felt his heart clench painfully. His angel was miserable. He had done this. Why was he like this? Why couldn't he make his angel happy?  
  
Riku loosened his grip on Sora's upper arms and enveloped his love in a warm embrace. He tucked his head into the other boy's spiky and gravity-defying hair, trying to offer him comfort and support. He inhaled his familiar and favorite scent of oranges and the ocean. He didn't notice Sora stiffer in his arms or the weak protesting sound that came from back of Sora's throat. He didn't notice tears on his clothes until it was too late.  
  
The other boy put his hands in between their bodies onto Riku's chest and pushed hard, trying to get away from him and it worked successfully. Riku looked down at Sora and in his azure eyes he saw pain and injuries of the soul. He saw his unmasked anger and his unbeatable determination. But it was only for a quick second because Sora outstretched his arm and _smacked_ Riku right across the face, leaving his own bruising mark.  
  
"Don't you_ DARE_ touch me you... you... you **murderer**! You **traitor**!"  
  
** {----{End of Part 1}----} TBC**  
  
That was part one of three. Next one is coming soon! Please review! 


	8. Part 2: Confusing Counterparts

Silently Deciding  
  
Thanks so much to my seven reviewers of the last chapter: Rinoki Rio, shadowsdancingdragon, Ocean-eyed Songstress, Fallen angel of darkness, kitsune-sama, kittylover16, and Sora Otaku. I'm glad you liked my last chapter. Your reviews make me want to keep writing now that I know you enjoyed it.  
  
**Chapter Seven: Awaken the Conflicts**  
  
_Part 2: Confusing Counterparts_  
  
Sora's last words rang dimly in Riku's ears. He was shocked and it was evidently written all over his normally calm and collected face. The cinnamon-haired boy paid no heed to his 'best friend's' (or should it be former) expressions. He felt like he couldn't possibly know him anymore. This wasn't the same silver-haired boy he knew and trusted with all his being. He wasn't the same one at all. He had changed and so had his feelings for Sora. Why was this so difficult? Why couldn't Riku just accept it that he was in love with Kairi? He was... wasn't he? She was the one he truly... loved.  
  
"You can't mean that Sora," Riku spoke softly, disbelieving his own words. Sora just gazed into his eyes with his own cerulean orbs furiously, but sadly.  
  
Riku brought his hand up to touch the red mark on his cheek gently with his fingertips. The skin on his injured cheek was very sensitive and the light touch of his fingers sent little jolts of pain down the side of his face to his jaw. Maybe he deserved this. Maybe he deserved it because if he would just let his angel be with Kairi then Sora could be happy. It didn't matter about his own happiness because he was only concerned with Sora.  
  
"Believe it Riku. Those words are true. You betrayed our friendship. How could you try and **kill** Kairi? I might have been able after a while to forget about the slap you gave her if Kairi did but trying to **KILL** her is out of the question, even if she _did_ forgive you. I _never_ will and I don't think I could."  
  
Those fierce words Sora spoke were low and deadly, but no matter how soft they were, they hit Riku straight into the vulnerable organ resting in his chest. Oh how it hurt to be scorned by the one you love desperately. He knew that the person you love most can hurt you the most, no matter how unintentionally. He didn't realize how true those words were until now.  
  
"Sora, we've been friends pretty much our whole lives and you just want to end it, just like this," Riku questioned, praying that it wasn't too late for them.  
  
"**I **wasn't the one who ended it. **You** are. **You're** the one who picked up the knife," Sora spoke softly and sadly, lowering his face from view. He didn't want their friendship to be over either but unfortunately, it could very possibly be too late to patch these problems up. Their conflicts had now awakened.  
  
"I picked up the knife with good reason Sora and not the reason you were thinking," Riku tried to explain, turning his gaze away from his angel. His voice was still low and the tone in his voice sounded dejected. Sora looked up to catch a glimpse of his former best friend's aquamarine eyes, but they were already averted from his searching look.  
  
"What possible reason could you have that would reasonably explain what the hell you were doing to Kairi?" Sora asked coldly. "Nothing will explain properly what you were doing. Nothing can make up the huge problem we now have to face and you were the one who did this! If you feel guilty for this, you better suck it up and live with it. This is your fault! So tell me now, _what is your damn reason_?!" Sora shouted, surprisingly not waking up Kairi's lifeless form lying on Selphie's bed as far as he could tell.  
  
"I can't tell you..." Riku said dismally. This doleful statement only made Sora more furious than he already was.  
  
"You can't tell me or is it because your reason can't possibly dismiss the problem we now have? You can't make this go away Riku, no matter how much we want it to!" The azure-eyed boy paused and gave Riku a hurt look, even if he wasn't facing him. "How could you... how could you bring yourself... to do this? What made you... try and _kill _her?"  
  
Sora didn't even realize Riku was standing in front of him until he felt a gentle hand lift his chin so he was staring into his aqua green eyes. The said hand then cupped his cheek softly. Sora's eyes shifted to look at the mark on the other boy's cheek, the mark he had made. He felt his eyes water slightly, but a smooth voice broke him out of his guilt trip for a moment.  
  
"Sora, do you hate me?" the other boy questioned. The cinnamon-haired boy's eyes were focused on Riku's lips as the moved when he spoke, the words that were directed to him.  
  
The younger teen felt himself shake his head in answer to the question. "No... I don't hate you. I don't think I could ever bring myself to hate you no matter what happened. Sometimes I feel like you're a part of me Riku and hating you would make me hate myself. I don't know if I could live with myself then. But I guess if I will myself not to hate you, I'm just being selfish so I wouldn't hate what I had become to turn you away from me."  
  
Soft lips descended onto his own pair but Sora neither pushed nor accepted those searching lips. Was Riku's question just used as an excuse to kiss Sora? If Riku found out, Sora couldn't hate him ever, would he use that to his advantage so he could get closer to Sora? Even when those questions interrogated his mind, Sora brushed them away because at the moment, he could care less.  
  
Sora felt himself respond slowly, kissing back languidly but never parting his lips to allow entrance. He just wanted some comfort and he was being selfish again, taking all he could get from his companion. He was confused but through all his tormented feelings, he wanted Riku. He wanted to feel him and he wanted himself to feel alive, one of the many feelings only Riku could bring out of him.  
  
Just as quickly as the kiss had started, it had abruptly been ended leaving Sora shaking with want. He didn't know when he had snaked his arms around Riku's neck, but there they were and Sora made no move to pull away. Neither did the other boy. The Keyblade master left his eyes closed with no intention of opening them. He didn't know that the other boy was mimicking his actions, keeping his arms around the other warm body and his eyes shut.  
  
"Sora, did you feel that? Did you feel my lips upon yours?" Riku received a nod as a response and a husky, low voice announcing and accompanying the nod with an affirmative. "The truth was they were there and you know it, you even said so yourself. The truth of this problem is that I was here with Kairi and yes, I was standing over her but even like my lips, I wasn't there forever and I won't be in a few days. My lips can be deceiving and like my actions, they're not always what they seem to be. That's the only evidence I can give you." He kept his voice soft and whispery, just loud enough for Sora to hear his words, even if he didn't understand them.  
  
The Keyblade master finally opened his eyes to reveal the striking dark azure color that was clouded with lust and confusion along with his normal innocence. His orbs met with Riku's own aquamarine, misty with sincerity and love (the emotion Sora couldn't decipher).  
  
"Wait a second. What did you mean you won't be here in a few days? Are you going away? Where are you going?" Sora asked, his eyes starting to slowly regain back its true original color, not tampered with other emotions.  
  
"That's not important," Riku responded, moving away from the other boy. If he didn't, he felt as if he was going to pounce on the boy and never let him go. Sadly, he realized, that would never happen.  
  
"Who are _you_ to decide what's important and what's not?!" Sora yelled, remembering their earlier actions consisting mostly of Kairi's death and his accusation of Riku's involvement. "I say this is important. What were you planning to do? Kill Kairi and then flee the scene before someone caught you!" Riku looked hurt and tried to turn his face away but Sora grabbed hold of his chin and held him still. "_Answer me,_ _**damn it**!"_ The silver-haired boy averted his eyes to the side, keeping them under the shadows of his silky hair. His emotions were hidden from site, making him seem like a statue until his lips moved with his words filled with venom.  
  
"So, you don't trust me, is that it? After everything we've been through together and after that promise we made in the cave, you have not even an ounce of trust in me?" Sora looked a little shocked, when Riku brought up that friendship promise.  
  
"You actually remember that?" Sora asked, not leaving the surprise out of his voice. The other boy turned his eyes back to look into those hypnotizing orbs of blue, disgust written all over his face and tone.  
  
"_Of course_ I remember that. I'm surprised you even wanted yourself to remember that and even have the guts to reminisce about it. But after all, that was the day when Kairi had come to the island. You spent the whole day reviving her after you found her on the beach. I can't believe you actually took the time to look for me afterwards when she had finally come into your life. Your precious little **hikari,"** Riku spoke those words with extra bitterness.  
  
"Was that why you were so upset in the cave?" the cerulean-eyed boy asked, not troubled by Riku's earlier words and the tone in his voice that was still ringing in his ears like bells. A veil masked Riku's emotions, not revealing himself to his former best friend.  
  
"No, but it's interesting that you nursed her when you found her on the beach and when you found me, you healed me as well. I guess we **both** rank the same as your friends," he spoke, sneering the last word like it was a curse. "Both of us are dear to you but I wonder, Sora. Who is the one who ranks the highest in your heart? I bet I can take a guess and I'll only need one chance. Surely, you know who I'm talking about," Riku said, turning his head to the left and his eyes towards the bed.  
  
"That's not true!" Sora exclaimed, letting go of Riku's chin and clenching his hands into fists at his sides, but it didn't look as if Sora believed his words either. His face looked stressed and emotions like disbelief, confusion, anger, and shock were all evident as a clear sky on his face. He was always too easy to read for Riku.  
  
"Or is it? Tell me. When we were lost in different worlds, who was the one you were always searching for? At Hollow Bastion, you found out that Kairi's heart was inside you. That could only happen if you reciprocated her love and accepted it, which you did gladly. It was always her!!" Riku shouted. "You were always with** her**. You always fought for **her**! Why did it always have to be about** her**?! Why couldn't it have been..." Riku stopped, not wanting to divulge in anymore secrets that were only meant for his thoughts. He couldn't risk revealing anymore about himself so he lowered his head from view, not wanting Sora to see him this way. Why had he become this? It was a wonder Sora was still in the same room with him.  
  
"What Riku? Why couldn't it have been _what_?" he asked, trying to Riku to share more with him, trying to show Riku that it was okay. It wasn't that he didn't trust Riku. He was so confused. He was going to be unreasonable because he didn't even know why he was acting like this himself. But then he realized, he just didn't want Riku to turn him away. Why did he always have to be so selfish?!  
  
"Nothing," Riku answered quietly, walking closer to Kairi's bed. Sora made no move to stop him.  
  
"No Riku. Please tell me. You can trust me," Sora said, trying to encourage the other to continue.  
  
The silver-haired boy chuckled bitterly. "Trust you? You want me to trust you, huh? The same way you trusted me. The same way to trusted me **BEFORE** you blamed me for trying to _kill _Kairi. What a brilliant way to try and earn my trust Sora. Quite sensational," he replied sacastically.  
  
"I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted..." Sora said softly, speaking to Riku's turned back. The said boy rotated around to face the azure-eyed teen, his eyes flaming with rage. He slowly started closing in on Sora, backing him into a corner so he couldn't escape.  
  
"What you wanted?! What about _me_?! What about what **I** wanted?! Do you think for one moment that it wasn't_ you_ **I **wanted to tell my secrets to? What if **I** didn't _want_ to talk to _you_?! What if **I** wanted _something else_?!" Sora was already trapped. His back was pressing against the turtle wallpapered surface of the wall and his eyes were wide like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. He couldn't quite decide on how he was feeling but he knew, he didn't want Riku to act like this. Riku's hands came up and smashed dangerously on either side of Sora's head leaving a dent in Selphie's walls.  
  
"Well... What do you want?" Familiar words came back to Sora. '_How about I show you instead?'_ A light tinge of pink crept up upon Sora's cheeks.  
  
"Why would it matter to you?" The words may have sounded venomous but in Riku's voice, there was only confusion.  
  
Their faces were so close to each other that they could feel the other's breath on their lips. Their noses were almost touching, along with their bodies. If one of them just moved up an inch or two, they would be pressed against each other fully and none of them would have the strength to move apart.  
  
"Because Riku... I do trust you and I would like for you to be able to trust me as well," Sora whispered, bringing his right hand up to toy with a strand of hair that fell into Riku's face. Before he could touch the strand of silver, Riku's brought his left hand up to stop Sora's searching fingers. He clasped their hands together and laced their fingers together. His pale flawless skin against Sora's tan childlike hand contrasted beautifully. Their eyes looked at their hands together and then they glanced up, locking onto each other.  
  
"Why?" Riku breathed out. It felt like his lungs were compressed and he couldn't breathe to well. His heart felt like it had jumped into his throat and the feel of Sora's hand in his own was almost unbearable. He wanted to reach out and kiss him senseless, but he also wanted to know the other boy's answer.  
  
"We've been friends forever and I don't want us to stop being together. I want us to be together always, but if that's not what you want, if that's not what makes you happy, then I'll give you what you want. You're right. I am selfish but now, I'm going to repay you. I'm going to give you what you want," Sora answered sincerely as possible, not trying to displease his best friend.  
  
"I'm not too sure you can really give me what I want..." Riku whispered, leaning a little closer into Sora so that his lips lightly brushed against Sora's.  
  
"Let me be the judge of that," Sora said determinedly, his voice not faltering once.  
  
"I want... I want... _you_," Riku spoke, lowering his head in embarrassment.  
  
"Always wanting what you can't have, huh Riku," spoke a high-pitched and scratchy voice. Riku turned his head around to get a look at their interrupter only to come face to face with a red-haired teenage girl. ::Oh, great. The mighty princess of hearts has awaken::  
  
** {----{End of Part 2}----} TBC**  
  
That was part two. I know it was shorter than the last but this seems like a good place to stop. There's another little hint. This chapter is called awaken the conflicts and guess who just woke up. Geez I would have thought someone who have guessed on this hint last chapter. Oh well... Part three will come out soon. 


	9. Part 3: Genuinely Caught in a Struggle

Silently Deciding  
  
Thank you everyone for your reviews. I present to you the next long-awaited chapter.  
  
::thoughts:: -'inner voice'-  
  
**Chapter Seven: Awaken the Conflicts**  
  
_Part 3: Genuinely Caught in a Struggle_  
_First Day- Sunday Afternoon_  
  
"Kairi! You're finally awake! I was so worried about you," Sora said. He wanted to rush over and envelope her in a huge hug, but he was unable to do so because of his current position. Riku was still above him and he dared not to move away, afraid of how the silver-haired boy would react.  
  
Kairi let out a snort of disbelief and crossed her arms over her chest. The mark on her cheek was now gone but the mark on their hearts from her taken damage was still painfully alive. Sora felt guilty for letting her get hurt and even guiltier for almost giving into the one who had injured her. "You were worried, huh? You seem to have gotten over it pretty quickly though," she said, gesturing with her right hand waving back and forth at their close bodies.  
  
The silver-haired youth stepped away from his best friend and Sora felt empty without Riku's warmth. Before he could open his mouth to say anything however, Kairi continued to speak.  
  
"But I get it now... I get it Riku. I heard you when you said you won't be here in a few days. I get it. You want to end it. So why not do it now Riku? Why not get it over with and spare yourself the heartbreak when you know for certain that Sora will not want to be with someone like you?"  
  
The two boys were shocked at Kairi's words and they just stood their dumbly with their mouths open in awe. They couldn't believe she had just said that. Did that mean they weren't friends anymore, any of them?  
  
Sora was confused. He felt lost and his heart felt heavy. Riku, too, felt lost but his heart was light with no emotion. He didn't know what to feel anymore. What was he to do? Should he just give up? No! He wouldn't do that. He'd never give up. He never has and he won't start now.  
  
Kairi stretched out her hand. In her palm was the knife from before. Riku must have dropped it when they were yelling at each other before, but here it was now, offered to him. The sunlight from the window behind Kairi, glinting off the blade, shining and gleaming, was alluring and captivating to the eyes. The sharp tip of the blade could press into flesh and break through like it was thin paper. He could just imagine his dark red blood dripping and running down the metallic sides slowly, falling onto the ground without a hint of a sound. Another drop would follow and all that would be left of him would be a decaying corpse, a blade, and a few drops of his crimson blood on the floor that would turn black as it dried.  
  
"You want to end everything, don't you Riku? That is what you want, isn't it? Go on. Take the knife and grasp onto your desire. You can do it Riku."  
  
The brunet thought he understood now. Riku wants to kill Kairi and end her life so that he can get what he wants. ::Riku had even told me himself that I was what he wanted. He wants me and in order to get what he wants, he thinks Kairi will be his way to victory. How could he think something so stupid like that? Aren't we all friends?::  
  
"_No_ Riku," Sora protested weakly. "_Don't_ do it. _Please don't_ do it."  
  
Riku's back was facing him and he didn't bother to turn around and talk to him face to face. Riku didn't know if he could handle it if Sora saw his emotions clear as day on his face. He would feel himself crumpling under the weight of his beloved's gaze but he couldn't let it show. He had to be strong but even though he chanted this in his head like a new personal mantra, he felt himself given into the urge to surrender.  
  
"I don't get you Sora. I mean, I really don't understand you. Won't you be happier once this is over? Don't you want to end this like I do?"  
  
He paused as he heard a low chocked gasp.  
  
"I admit Sora, I do. I do want this to end. I want everything to be over and you'll be able to be happy again. I know you will. You're suffering right now Sora and I can't stand it to see you suffer. Much more, be the one who is causing this for you. This will do us all some good."  
  
Kairi sneered at his words and folded her hand, holding the knife, into a fist, not caring about the sharp blade that dug into her skin. "You are the cause Riku. You say you don't understand Sora but you are the one who is so confusing. _You hurt me_," she growled her last words and continued, her hand tightening around the edges of the knife. "Then you suddenly have this mental idea that even though you are a cold heartless friend, Sora will return your feelings." She cruelly laughed at this, even at the sight of Riku's slightly pained look.  
  
"You don't know that," the older youth spoke softly, doubt lingering in his words yet hope still remaining faintly. He looked at the girl's hand that was crushing down on the knife.  
  
He thought about something for a moment, talking it over in his head, before lifting it and looking Kairi straight in the eyes with a proud expression. He stretched out his arm and opened his hand palm up. "Give me the knife Kairi. **Now**." His expression didn't change and it remained stoic and unreadable, even proud with a sense of arrogance.  
  
Riku didn't turn as he heard the shocked gasp behind him. He didn't lower his gaze as the weapon was dropped into his hands. He didn't blink as Kairi's expression turned horrified and doubtful. He didn't cower under his emotions as he twirled the knife around in his dexterous hands. He didn't breathe as he felt himself falling through the glass.

****  
Sora couldn't believe his eyes even if the scene was playing right in front of him without a pause. Maybe he didn't want to believe it. His best friend was really going to do this and hurt his other friend in the world and there was nothing he could do about it except watch. He felt so helpless and he couldn't let it end this way. This was not the way he was going to remember his two friends. There was no way he could find the strength to.  
  
He felt a harsh noise bounce off the ways and he knew it was his own voice that had caused the sound. His eyes flickered over the two people in the room with him. He didn't know what he was doing when he rushed towards Riku to stop the knife from going through Kairi's body. All he knew was that he wanted to stop it and end this mess.  
  
The brunet ran towards his best friend ready to knock the weapon out of his hands before any more harm was done. The force and momentum of his blow that connected to Riku's body threw them both off-guard and off- balance. They stumbled for a bit, heading in the direction of the insecure window in Selphie's room. They crashed into the window, shattering it and tumbled out of the room. Glass cut across their faces and arms but they were only concerned about their landing as of now.  
  
Screams and yelps for help fell upon deaf ears. Kairi was clearly panic-stricken. She rushed over to the window, not caring if she stepped on any glass on her way as she walked on her bare feet. Looking out, she saw they had landed in a tangle of limbs inside the cocoon of dust that was sprayed in the air from their sudden impact. She couldn't tell if they were unconscious or awake but the dizziness of the overwhelming heat and the trauma of this little predicament sent her senses spiraling into danger.  
  
Heaving and gasping for breath, she fell to the floor on her knees, clutching her throat. Recalling the events that had just appeared, the horror took hold of her again. Wheezing out a plea for help, she collapsed on the floor with her hands still holding onto her slim neck.

"Ow! That hurt!" The younger boy exclaimed worriedly, rubbing the right side of his face gently, wincing every time he found a sore spot. He opened his eyes fully, feeling someone's body aligned underneath his, and peered down into his best friend's face.  
  
Riku was out cold. His eyes were shut tight as if to block out the world as much as he could and his lips were parted and frowning. His forehead was wrinkled with worry lines and his cheeks were flushed. Specks of dirt fell on his nose as the dust settled from their abrupt fall.  
  
Sora felt so sorry for him and his heart thumped painfully in his chest at the look on his best friend's face. He reached out a hand and held his palm to the smooth cheek of his rival. His instincts took over and he shushed the other boy calmly, caressing his cheek with the pad of his thumb, luring him into a peaceful sleep. The lines of his forehead ceased from existence slowly and his eyelids released some pressure, smoothing out the delicate skin located there and seeming relaxed.  
  
Leaning down, going on gut feelings and blaming this heady feeling on the unexpected fall, Sora ghosted his lips against the unmoving ones belonging to the silver-haired boy. It was more of a brushing of their lips rather than a kiss, but the brunet had wanted to feel that connection of warmth once again. He longed for it and missed it. Was it just a kiss he was missing or was it the other boy himself?  
  
Before the young Keyblade master could move away, he felt a hesitant set of lips move languidly against his. Sora pulled back slowly and tentatively opened his eyes to meet a pair of surprised aquamarine orbs. He suddenly felt awkward and didn't know what to do. Should he get off of his best friend and pretend nothing had opened or should he apologize for his actions but say he'd wanted to do it for a long time? He didn't know if he'd say that because he thought it was what Riku wanted or what he truly wanted. He settled for a third option: being concerned for his best friend and seeing where that takes him.  
  
"How are you feeling? Where does it hurt? Does your arm feel sore? Did you still have the knife when you fell? Did that hit you anywhere? Do you have any cuts? Do you need a blood transfusion or maybe an organ donor to help you out? Maybe you--"  
  
"Sora. _Sora_! Take a breather there or you'll die. What will Kairi do then without a little playmate?"  
  
Alright, so maybe this option wasn't working so well. But then again...  
  
"I'm fine Sora. Just a sore back, that's all. But what's to be expected when you fall out of a second story window and you land on your back?" Riku said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.  
  
"I'm so sorry! It's my fault really. I didn't mean to! I just didn't want you to hurt Kairi, that's all!" Sora protested, wanting to apologize for his actions, but seeing the pained look cross his best friend's face, he noticed he had probably said the wrong thing.  
  
Riku turned his face to the left side, not wanting Sora to see the haunting and empty look in his eyes, knowing his emotions would shine through and would be easily readable. He didn't want Sora to know how he felt and the extent of those feelings. He knew it would just be a waste of time because the brunet above him would never return his feelings.  
  
"That's all you care about, isn't it? Kairi's safety comes first before anything else, right?"  
  
The cinnamon-haired boy gawked at the older teen below him aghast. ::Is that truly how Riku feels? Does he really believe that I'd really rate Kairi's wellbeing in my mind?::  
  
"Riku, I care about Kairi a lot and she's a very special person and a great friend. She's very important to me so why would you want to get rid of Kairi?"  
  
The before-mentioned boy turned his face and locked his gaze with the younger boy's. His eyes were shining with broken trust and betrayal. He felt used and cheap but closed a barrier around himself, wanting to prevent anymore damage inflicted to his already crumbling heart.  
  
"I was never trying to get rid of Kairi! Like I said before, I would never take her away from you!"  
  
Behind all the tragic heartache, lay anguish and fury. The ocean-eyed youth felt more hatred bubbling inside him, in his blood, for the redheaded girl who was once his friend. He couldn't stand this. Why was it always about **Kairi**? Why was it always **her**?  
  
"How can you trust her so much and not me?! Am **I** even a little bit important to you?!"  
  
Riku flipped them over and rolled Sora beneath him so he knew how it felt to be trapped from something that there was no escape from. So he would know that even though you wanted to get away, it wouldn't be permanent, the problem would remain. But what if the problem was created from inside of your body, tucked away in the hidden crevices of your mind? What if the problem was something he didn't have the courage to face or the strength to destroy? What if the problem was an emotion no one could conquer and something that people always succumbed to?  
  
The younger boy was frightened and his eyes were wide like a deer caught in the headlights. He couldn't tell if he was shaking from fear or if it was the boy above him, trembling with anger. He was so surprised and caught off-guard from Riku's actions and his words that came spurting from out of his mouth nonstop. He couldn't even hear himself think. He was so wrapped up in the world and the conflicts that had been created between them. How could they clear this whole mess up?  
  
"Why does it always have to be about **her** Sora?!"  
  
He couldn't answer that question, something he had no answer to. Did he really always put Kairi before him? Did Riku feel left out? Why was he doing this to his best friend? Was he such a horrible person?  
  
"I... Riku... I don't know," he said softly and his rival sneered distastefully at those words. As he heard that broad statement, he applied loads of pressure through the pads of his fingertips onto the delicate tanned skin of Sora's upper arms he had been clutching. He didn't stop until he heard a low squeak from the smaller boy.  
  
"You know how pain feels now, don't you? I'm glad. Get a grip on reality Sora. Kairi's **_not_** worth all that attention! Why would you waste your time on her?! She's not worth it!"  
  
Something about those small but firm statements caused a change in the brunet's actions. He suddenly felt so anger and he wanted to lash out and hit something, anything that was in his way. He settled on glaring fiercely at the other youth with the frozen face.  
  
So that's how everything how gotten into this mess but it was far from over.  
  
The younger teen jerked his arms out of his rival's grasp and sat back onto his elbows. This action sped the other youth into action. He straddled Sora's waist, keeping his knees onto the ground and sat back onto Sora's thighs, giving him some more room and personal space but even though he intended to do just that, the other boy reached forward and took hold of the collar on his tank top. Sora brought his face closer so that there was about three inches between their lips.  
  
"Don't you dare say that Riku!!" he hissed in his face, his breath leaving a tingling sensation in its wake. "Kairi's worth more than you know!!"  
  
Why do you totally lose it when it's about her, Riku thought. ::_Why is it always her_?:: He lowered his gaze, his bangs shielding his eyes from view once again. Maybe he was a coward but he couldn't face his beloved. This battle that had risen between them was going to leave a lifelong scar on his heart.  
  
"How would you know, my precious sky? I thought for a moment there, you didn't know anything or isn't that what you said? So now you're a liar, Sora? How easily you change your mind."  
  
The younger boy growled and clenched his teeth, tightening his grip on the cotton shirt until his knuckles turned white from the pressure. Riku was really starting to piss him off badly.  
  
"Don't like the truth do you Sora? What you can't handle it?"  
  
His pride injured, the brunet couldn't bite back a venomous retort. "Much like the fact you can't handle that _I'll never love you back either_!"  
  
There was silence, not even the wind was blowing. It seemed like the earth had stopped moving in its course around the sun. All the animals stopped their chattering of squawks and chirping. The sea's gentle waves crashed into each other without a sound. This was probably the calm before the storm.  
  
** {----{End of Part 3}----} TBC**  
  
_Author's Ending Notes_: So this wasn't as long as I wanted to be but this seems like a nice spot to end it at. How do you all like Kairi's reaction? And see what poor little vulnerable Sora did; he confused Riku's plans. Who's going to be the one to tell him otherwise: Kairi or Riku? Let's vote on this one! There's also another clue in here about a later chapter. Give you a hint. It is very close to the ending of this chappie! Please review! And so sorry for the late update. I didn't know how to write this one ;; 


	10. Comforting a Guilty Maiden

Silently Deciding  
  
Thank you reviewers! I only got a few for the last chapter but it was enough for me to feel wanted. Although one thing, I would truly appreciate it if you all could give me well-rounded reviews. Is there something wrong with this story? Are any of my characters not fitting their personalities? Is there something I need to improve on? I'd really like to know. It would help the story move along and if anyone wants a certain scene in here go ahead and request it. I'm free to accept any ideas.  
  
It's just when I get reviews that say 'Great chapter' I want to know why. Which part did you enjoy? Which part was not to your liking? I'd like some more feedback from the reviews. It only takes a second for the reviewer to say 'Great chapter' but no good really comes from it. Good feedback would boost their author's ability to continue, even though they'll keep writing because they love too. It shows that their fiction is truly going according to plan and getting the right idea from the readers. So if you honestly think it's a 'great chapter' and you're not just saying that in order to get more, explain yourself and vote for ideas. The recipient will appreciate it.  
  
::thoughts:: -'inner voice'-  
  
**Chapter Eight: Comforting a Guilty Maiden**  
  
_Second Day- Early Monday Morning_  
  
It had been eight hours since their last meeting. It was two o'clock in the morning and the words have yet to fade away from Riku's memory. They just repeated and all he wanted to do was forget the truth of them. It was all he could do not to fall into insanity's pit but Sora wouldn't fall for a crazy loony like him so he'd have to stay strong-- for him.  
  
His arms were spread out as he lay on his large king-sized bed and his eyes had lost their luster, dulling to a blank and empty sea green void. His hair was clumped uneven at the top of his head like a halo but he was no angel in this forgetful world. He was merely a doll for life to cast aside and play with until the fun was over and all could end. He wore nothing except for a loose baggy white t-shirt, coming down to rest on the middle of his thighs and red boxers that were striped with thin gold lines on his lower half that reached his knees. They clung to him like a second skin and he smelt of musk and sweat.  
  
He couldn't remember much of yesterday's conversation with his best friend when they laid tangled in the sand together after Sora had thrown some harsh words his way. Did he run away from him or did he attack him? Did he hurt him for saying that? Did he yell at Sora for saying those words or did he threaten him? Did he silence him somehow with either his lips or his fists? He couldn't remember! Was he repressing the memory? He just hoped he didn't hurt Sora. He couldn't bare the thought of causing him more pain. He didn't deserve that. His precious sky didn't deserve to go through this pain.  
  
How he wanted to end it but he couldn't because of Sora. He was the one who gave him a reason to live. He wasn't just living for himself but for his best friend, the love of his life, his companion in this lost world, his... or maybe Kairi's... precious sky, Sora. But the promise to himself he made about only giving this world one last chance, a week to figure out his meaning or end it. He couldn't believe he had made that ultimatum with himself. But being as proud as Riku was, he couldn't back down from his own promise. So it was time to decide what's better: Sora or his pride? He just had to hope he would make the right choice in the end.  
  
As Riku pondered on one side of the island, across the street from him, lying in his own twin-sided bed, his arms crossed underneath his head, staring up at the ceiling, Sora did his own pondering in his room. His head hurt from all this unnecessary and uncommonly-used thinking. He tried to analyze the situation and figure out the problem with his best friend. Lately, everything had become a soap opera in his life. He couldn't make heads or tails of anything. It weirded him out of his mind.  
  
Losing his focus and deciding it was enough thinking, he rolled over unto his side, tucking a hand underneath his pillow and his other arm against his side, letting his elbow joint to bend so his hand fell against the cool texture of the sheets on the mattress. Sora let out a relieved sigh and was glad the pressure from his temples had somewhat ceased. Thinking and him didn't mix too well like Riku had said once. It was playful teasing on a happy sunny day so why couldn't they go back to those days when everything was alright? Why did everything have to turn out so wrong?  
  
Not wanting to think more about this, Sora wished dearly that recalling yesterday's previous events after his little outburst wouldn't cause him a headache and hoped it didn't enlarge it...  
  
_ He wasn't prepared for the shocked expression or the sea green eyes that closed suddenly, as if in pain. He wasn't even prepared or aware of the uncomfortable clenching of his stomach muscles as he watched his friend above him with care. His anger was gone as quickly as it had come but he still felt like he should hurt the silver-haired youth even more for what he had done to Kairi. He deserved it for trying to kill her.  
  
Not knowing he was being unreasonable, he still bit viciously at Riku's already injured pride.  
  
"What now Riku? You can't handle the truth now?" he sneered.  
  
And just at that one simple phrase, that little question, brought on the rage that would probably undo them both. The older boy exploded. His eyes snapped open to reveal raging emeralds tinted with silver but behind his fire of anger, if one looked deep enough, they would see his insecurity and the betrayal he had been enduring. But Sora couldn't see it. He was blind with his own emotions that overpowered his senses.  
  
"Shut up!!" Riku yelled. He ripped away from Sora and launched a fist at him in his fury, wanting to strike him in the face as hard as he could. He wanted to hurt him. He wanted him to feel what he felt. He wanted him to feel intolerable pain just as he felt every day when he saw Sora hanging around Kairi. He wanted him to understand how he felt. In that way, wouldn't it just bring them closer? This was all for the right cause. He could do this and Sora would be able to feel a deeper connection with him than he would ever have with Ms. Princess of Hearts.  
  
But as his fist flew at Sora, he saw fear in Sora's cerulean eyes. A type of fear that was created by him was gleaming in his eyes. It dared Riku to lower his fist and stop of the action of his swinging limb, wanting him to see reason, reason that wasn't contained in his actions. How could someone love someone like him? He'd maim the one he loved just to get even, just so he knew how it felt to be hurt. That was too low and he knew it.  
  
His angry punch met the ground next to Sora's left ear. His knuckles were red and they stung from the connection from the ground to his fist. The younger boy was shaking underneath him. Whether in fear or rage, Riku didn't know. All he wanted was to run away and that's just what he did.  
  
The confused teen jumped up quickly, off of his love's tempting body and sprinted away from Sora, not knowing where he was heading. He just needed to clear his thoughts. He needed to be alone with himself, the monster he had become out of his love for his best friend.  
  
So Sora just lay there, trembling like a coward. He was afraid of his best friend, the person he had grown up with, his childhood buddy. This seems so unreal. Why was this happening to them? And as this was happening, he knew, it wasn't going to be the end of this spiral of indecision and of this heartache.  
_  
Afterwards, Sora just walked along the beach for hours until his feet hurt and calloused. He needed to decide on how he could correct this. Even hours lately as he was in his bed now, with sleep not coming to rest his tired body, he hadn't reached a verdict on what he should do to correct all the mistakes that had happened over the last couple of days.  
  
Staring out the window, the brunet noticed it had started to rain lightly. He had to question whether anyone was watching them fore there should have been a storm outside to fit their anguished emotions and not a gentle drizzle of cool water. Some of the raindrops flew in through his opened window along with the scent of the salty ocean. He felt no need to close the window, so he just laid there as the drops splashed on his heated cheeks, cooling him from the summer's warmth.  
  
Minutes must have passed slowly and four hours went by because the sun was starting to rise barely over the ocean's horizon but it was still raining. Sora enjoyed it when it rained during the sun's appearance in the sky. It was something he looked forward to when it rained but right now Sora just wanted sleep. He had spent the whole night just watching the rain solemnly but it didn't matter. Nothing changed.  
  
Looking out towards the direction of the ocean of which his window faced, Sora saw someone running on the beach. The dark shadow of a person was shaped like a girl's figure. She was running really fast and Sora watched as her legs flew down on the sand, stomping hard and leaving footprints in the damp substance, and then tore up into the air again to just come down and apply another outline of her foot. These movements were repeated over and over and Sora thought he was going to get dizzy from just watching her move. It was so memorizing and he couldn't tear his eyes away. It was something about her.  
  
He heard himself gasp as he saw her stumble and reach out to grab something. Her hands flew up but only met air and unfortunately, she landed hard on her knees, the sand staining and scratching her delicate skin. Her hair was outlined a red painted gold from the sun and she looked not a part of this world, ethereal, something holy but striped of her wings. She turned her back to him and he noticed she was only clad in a tank-top, her creamy bony shoulders looked so pale and luminescent.  
  
Sora's hands were against the windowsill and he was gazing out at her, watching her like a bug in a glass tank, examining her like a specimen in a vial and inspecting her like a bug under a microscope. It was as if he was really trying to figure the lone girl out. His curiosity was yearning to know her identity and desiring her name. He had to know.  
  
He jumped out of his bed in a hurry and yanked his door open. He ran down the hallway and down the corridor with his feet pounding on the wooden floor. He swept past the living room in a blur, around the couch and past the television set. He pulled open the white-painted front door in a rush, his fingers quickly undoing the twistable lock on the handle. He even forgot to shut it on his way out and the rain dripped into the sitting room, wetting the carpet.  
  
He didn't care about his clothes getting drenched as he raced down towards the beach, wanting to meet the maiden sitting there in the sand that looked spotted with the rain drops as they fell leaving their patterns in the dirt. He could hear the sound of the waves crashing in the sea and the little pitter of the rain hitting the earth. As he came closer to the girl, his ears were drowning with the sound of pitiful cries and senseless pleas of thoughtless words drabbing endless on in a twist of confusion.  
  
He was sprinting with his chest high and his shoulders squared, upright and eager, but his legs felt like they were attached to weights, pulling him down so he couldn't get to the girl on the shore. His arms were swinging around hazardously as he ventured forth to the ocean. The sand particles flung up behind him in clumps as his feet flew down into the sand as he stomped with each step.  
  
Sora came to an abrupt stop in front of his mysterious maiden with red fiery hair. His breathing was labored and came out in gasps. His shoulders rose and fell with each strained breathe. His legs were shaking and his arms hung at his sides. The sand dug uncomfortably into his feet and prickled his skin. He remained silent and waited for her to turn and face him but she remained looking into the ocean.  
  
The wind swept over them and felt like ice as it caressed their dampened skin from the light drizzle of rain. Their clothes were soaked with the liquid but they didn't care. The girl looked into the rising sunrise and watched as the light played off the waves in colors appealing to her eye. The boy standing only contained to watch her. The gentle winds picked up the visited sand particles on the beach and they run underneath the maiden's nose, teasing her into a sneeze until eventually she did.  
  
"_Bless you_," he whispered for the wind to hear him and the girl picked up his words, overhearing his small talk to nature's biding gust.  
  
Slowly, she turned around and locked her gaze with his. Her hair shown like a halo over her head and Sora saw her as an angel. Her eyes shown and sparkled with spendor but their lavender color looked slightly dull and blank, even if they were filled with despair. They were rimmed red with the look that the maiden had been crying for a long while. Her assortments of necklaces were removed and her neck looked vulnerable and bare without their presence. Her hands were fisted into the sand. Her appearance startled him, but what unsettled him was the lone tear that trailed down her cheek and fell onto the beach, leaving another dot.  
  
"_I'm sorry_," she whispered. "I truly am so sorry Sora. I didn't mean... I didn't mean to say..." But her voice broke and she couldn't continue speaking those words. The girl tore her eyes away from the boy, unable to look at him anymore, afraid she'd see rejection and hate in his eyes. More dot and spot patterns appeared in the sand and they weren't only caused by the water of rain from the sky, but from the water collected in her eyes.  
  
The boy knelt down to her level with his left knee buried in the sand. He lifted a hand and feathered his thin fingers lightly through her hair, feeling the coarse texture of the mistreated roots. He could feel bits of sand that had gotten caught in the tresses. Sora felt guilty about her position and he couldn't feel like he was the one to blame. He didn't want her to feel this way. She wasn't responsible for this mess. It wasn't her fault. But was it really his?  
  
Riku was the one who was standing over her with the knife in his hand. It was his fault, right? He wanted to kill her and doing so must have terrified Kairi into saying all those things she said. She was scared and she resorted to turning the tables on Riku, giving him the knife and allowing him to kill her. Does Riku want me so bad that he would kill for me? Am I that important or am I so worthless he has to prove my worth to everyone? I am the cause. I'm the problem, not Kairi and not Riku.  
  
"Kairi, it's not your fault," he whispered loud enough for her to hear. He said this apologetically and hearing his soft tone, Kairi turned her head up to face him. Her eyes were clouded with tears and rimmed with even more red, the color of blood that could have been spilled yesterday.  
  
Those words did something to the girl and she just couldn't hold anything in anymore. Her eyes collected more water and she flew at Sora, wrapped her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. The force caused Sora to fall back on his behind, leaving his legs spread and open for Kairi's body. He wrapped his arms around her tiny, shaking frame and prayed from someone to heal her pain.  
  
"Sora, it is my fault! I said all those terrible and stupid things! How can you hold someone disgusting like me? How can you stand to be by me? Why are you here comforting me? I don't deserve this! I'm--" Her words were once again caught off but not by her unwilling throat. It was by Sora's lips.  
  
He didn't know what he was doing but he didn't want to hear that from her. She was so much better than she said she was. She wasn't worthless like him who needed someone to kill for him. After all, he had defended her all this time telling people like Riku that she wasn't worthless. She deserved so much more than a kiss from him but he wanted to give her something. He wanted to be the one to heal her pain.  
  
Sora pulled back but left their lips slightly connected so they could feel each other. He opened his eyes and the azure color of his iris meet the lavender purple of the girl he just kissed to silence. They just looked at each other for a while, staring into each other's eyes. The girl's eyes asking for forgiveness while the boy's eyes asked to give help, hoping it would be wanted.  
  
Keeping their eyes opened, the girl moved forward until her lips completed touched and covered the boy's. She loved the feel of his lips on hers (or should it be the other way around?). They were so soft and they felt caring like his personality and his playful nature. She was grateful for his kindness even if she didn't deserve it, she wanted it. Kairi didn't care if that made her selfish because right now, she was wanted and not rejected by the one she feared most would reject her.  
  
Tears appeared in her eyes again and Sora's noticed their blur of her lavender color. Pulling back, he lifted his right arm from Kairi's waist and traced a finger from his hand underneath her eyes, collecting the moisture betraying her emotions. He looked worriedly at her, keeping his right palm on her cheek, but then he saw her smile. It was even more radiating then the sunrise behind her. Her beauty was so elegant and he felt him smiling with her too.  
  
Leaning down, he captured his lips again and both their eyes closed in reaction, sealing a promise that Sora would always be there for her. She would never be alone. Kairi had him and they would be together. Sora was now proud to say that he had a girlfriend. Thinking this thought, he tightened his arm around the girl and leaned into the kiss more and Kairi did the same.  
  
The rain kept falling and sunrise grew, but nothing else wished them happiness on their quest to find some comfort in each other. Neither did the silver-haired boy who was locked inside his room, sleeping without dreams and his brows furrowed in confusion and tension.  
  
** {----{End of Chapter Eight}----}**  
  
_Author's Ending Notes_: I don't like the ending. I can't find a suitable one. However, this chapter is important (even if it sucks) because now the story is coming to action. The first chapters were just an intro but here comes the real deal. I wonder how Riku is going to react to this. We already now he is capable of many things (see earlier chapters) but can his hatred for Kairi grow stronger? Till next time, which will hopefully be sooner! 


	11. The First Official Outing

Silently Deciding  
  
I appreciate the more detailed reviews. I know I probably sounded like a pain but I love the feedback. Call me selfish but it's wonderful. I fixed up the chapters with italics and bold lettering. That might help the reading run along smoother. Now I realize that this part is Kairi and Sora action but this is a RikuxSora fiction. But if you read the summary you would know now that Kairi is Sora's light of whom he thinks he's destined for.  
  
::thoughts:: -inner voice'-  
  
**Chapter Nine: The First Official Outing**  
  
_Second Day- Monday Afternoon_  
  
"Crap! I'm late!" Speeding through his actions, Sora hastily pulled on his blue swimming trunks and tugged on a plain white t-shirt. He ended up putting socks on his hands without realizing it and he left his shoes in his room. He raced out the door and he was half-way to the docks before he noticed the socks on his hands. This left Sora running back to his house, storing the socks in his underwear drawer and racing out the door to the beach again.  
  
Today was his first official date with Kairi. It more like the same old with a trip to the beach again but he felt like his hormones were on overdrive and his heart was racing in his chest. Every so often it would jump into his throat, making him gulp nervously. He tried to ignore the butterflies fluttering around in his stomach chaotically, swatting them away with his mental fly-swatter but they kept regenerating back, leaving him in a mess.  
  
He sprinted down to his boat at the docks and untied it quickly, eager to get to their play island before he delayed Kairi and his date even longer. Stepping into the boat, which roughly with the sudden addition of his weight, he sat down and picked up the oars, rowing with short rapid strokes on the outside of the boat. Usually the trip took around 10 minutes traveling across the ocean with even long strokes but with Sora's rushing, it took about 3 minutes and his arms were shaking and aching from all the movement and strain they had to endure.  
  
He quickly throwing the ropes out, hoping they would wrap around the wooden post so he wouldn't have to waste his time tying it to the dock. Unfortunately they didn't, so he growled and kicked the post which caused him to jump around holding his foot from the pain that rang in his abused toe, wasting more precious minutes. He picked up the rope and glared at the post as he tied his Highwind to the post. He didn't even notice the red spot on the docks from his previous injury on his calf from the rusted nail (the wound was still wrapped in gauze and was recently cleaned). He just sprinted past without looking down at the mark on the wood.  
  
Sora saw the group of people standing on the beach waving at him. The tiny figure was running towards him and he slowed to a light walk, not too eager to meet her, knowing full well that she would be slightly irritated that he was late. ::Oh great, I knew this day would have a downfall:: He kept his eyes ahead and placed an ear-to-ear grin that somewhat faltered as he got a glimpse at her face.  
  
Kairi wasn't too happy with Sora's late appearance. Her hands were on her hips as she came to a stop in front of him. Her eyebrows were narrowed and her violet eyes were squinted. Her lips weren't set in a scowl but in a frown, or rather a pout. Her red hair was in a high ponytail and she was clad in a light purple swimsuit. It was a two piece, showing the fair skin on her flat stomach. Her feet were bare.  
  
"You're late Sora," she said, stating the obvious with a despaired tone.  
  
The boy rubbed the back of his nervously and shifted his feet. "Well Kairi... you see, I kind of forgot to set my alarm clock and well, since it wasn't set, it didn't go off. And since we met a little earlier this morning I didn't get as much sleep as I needed. Sorry," he mumbled the last of his apology with a small grin. "Can you forgive me?"  
  
She gave him the eye for a second and crossed her arms across her chest, tapping the fingers on her right hand on her left elbow thoughtfully. She rolled her eyes upward and then lowered her eyes to his face, giving him a puzzled look as if trying to figure him out. Suddenly she uncrossed her arms and laced her fingers behind her back, leaning forward and kissing his cheek.  
  
"How can I possible stay mad at you? Now come on," Kairi said, unlacing her hands and grabbed hold of his. She pulled him forward with an unexpected jolt of strength causing him to stumble. "They're waiting for us down at the shore." She turned out and hurriedly tugged him along to the beach.  
  
Along the way Sora wanted to ask her something that abruptly popped into his mind. "Say Kairi, do you know where Riku is? I haven't seen since yesterday afternoon and I was wondering if you maybe have seen him around here."  
  
All he could hear was their group laughing at the ocean's shore and groans of disappointment and then he noticed they had stopped at the ocean's beginning with Kairi staring at him thoughtfully.  
  
"Actually he came down here earlier to fight with Tidus. He seemed very frustrated and I guess he decided to vent it all off using Tidus as his sparing dummy. Do you think he was angry at me for saying all that stuff?" she spoke regretfully with the hints of apologies in her words and her tone. She turned her face down, not daring to look Sora in the eyes and he didn't force her too. He felt ashamed along with her. He knew how she felt.  
  
"I don't blame him for being hurt because I said some awful things to him too, but he had no right to do what he did to you!" he answered fiercely, his cerulean eyes blazing with disgust, but hating himself for feeling that. He felt like he was betraying his best friend. But how would you react if you were in this situation? He couldn't just shrug this off. Something needed to be done.  
  
"Sora..." Kairi said questioningly, having the guts to face him. Her eyes inquired many things from him. "You don't get it, do you?" she spoke softly and slowly, wondering if Sora knew the truth of Riku's actions. "What do you think Riku was trying to do to me?"  
  
He stared her in disbelief, dumbfounded at her sudden question. "How can you ask that? You know what he was doing himself! He was trying to murder you, that's what!"  
  
The loud laughing and excited voices still didn't dim down so they couldn't be overheard, even though Sora was shouting, but Kairi still felt some apprehension. She shushed him and darted her eyes around suspiciously, hoping no on had heard her boyfriend's hasty words.  
  
"Keep your voice down," she said scolding, cupping her hand over his lips. Kairi studied him for a moment and then released her lips from the solitude of her hands. "You really don't get it, do you?" she asked sadly, not expecting another verbal response from him. He resembled a fish at the moment with his jaw working up and down, confused and discombobulated. "Well... let's go see what the others are up to," she said in a final tone.  
  
Kairi latched onto his hand again and pulled him towards their group. Sora had a pout and a puzzled look on his face because of their conversation. He thought he knew perfectly well what was going on but he didn't say that aloud. His pride was still injured for some unknown reason to Sora. Did he really feel that responsible of how he had treated his best friend? Did he really feel something other than friendship for him and even though he would be disgusted at his actions of treating him wrong, he'd still feel something uncontrollable for him? If did, he didn't deserve Riku.  
  
They stopped in front of Selphie who was holding out two necklaces with a magnificent red flowers strung on the strings efficiently. A grin was spread happily across her lips. They held out their free hands and waited for the leis to be given to them but Selphie took one and tossed it over Kairi's head and onto her shoulders successfully. She adjusted it gently on her shoulders so part of the lei was hanging down the front and the back almost equally. Kairi lifted the flowers up to her nose and inhaled the perfume smell of the plant.  
  
"Aren't they just gorgeous?" Selphie asked as she tried to toss the other lei over Sora's head but it didn't quite work out. The lei got stuck in the spikes of his gravity-defying hair. She continued to talk about the gifts as she undid the necklace from his hair. "These are called plumeria leis and they're a tradition in Hawaii. And since they're an island and we're an island, I thought we could indulge ourselves in their customs!" She got the string undone from Sora's locks and adjusted the lei on his shoulders like she had done with Kairi's. "There!" she exclaimed proudly with a grin brightly intact on her lips.  
  
"Thanks Selphie," Kairi and Sora said in unison.  
  
The couple looked at each other and blinked right before they burst into helpless giggles at their unusual and coincidental remarks at the same time. Kairi removed her hand from Sora's and wound her slim arms around Sora's. She leaned against him as her frame shook with her laughter. Sora leaned back onto her as if to stable himself from falling over from his own laughs and Kairi's extra added weight.  
  
"You know, you two are really adorable together. It's a shame you're not together," Selphie said with one arm across her chest and the elbow of her right arm on her left hand. A finger was at her lips and a thoughtful look crossed her face. It was like she was examining them, trying to decipher their true intentions like a scientist with a microscope or a detective with her magnifying glass.  
  
Selphie's comments only caused the pair to burst into even more laughs. And that only made Selphie confused about their relationship even more. She still didn't know about them getting together. She had her suspicions about them ever since she saw Kairi run off to meet Sora. Now as she noticed Kairi standing super close to Sora and clinging to him, she had no doubts about her earlier uncertainty and she came to a believable revelation, a new discovery.  
  
"So you two hooked up?!" she exclaimed happily. She smiled brightly and she seemed to glow with energy.  
  
Selphie zoomed over to Tidus (who was currently sparing with Wakka) and started whispering in his ear. His eyes bulged out for a second and he turned to Selphie, whispering back into her ear. She just laughed and walked back over to the couple. Tidus jumped in front of Wakka and told him something in a hushed voice. Wakka didn't look surprised. He just nodded his head knowingly as if he expected something like that to happen. Kairi and Sora exchanged looks and shook their heads in unison.  
  
The next thing they knew, Kairi was thrown onto the sand from a powerful pouncing maneuver from the hyper girl. Selphie grinned as she sat on top of Kairi's stomach. She looked up at Sora with bright anxious eyes.  
  
"So when are you two tying the knot?" she asked.  
  
The couple blushed and Sora squirmed under Selphie's gaze, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He clasped his hands behind his back and his eyes looked over to Kairi. Her face was as bright as a Christmas tree. Selphie's grin only broadened and she crossed her arms over her chest, nodding her head. Her eyes gleamed with a sparkle that Sora felt foreboding of.  
  
"I knew you two would end up together. You two make the most perfect couple. Can I plan the wedding? I can get even more flowers like on the leis and I'll design your gown Kairi! You'll look so good in white and the bridesmaids will have to be wearing either pink or blue. Or maybe you want a flashier look with glitter and shells. I can get Tidus to-"  
  
"Get me to do what?" Tidus said with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes held a doubtful look.  
  
Selphie scrambled off of Kairi, giving her some well-needed oxygen. She jumped into the air and landed in front of Tidus. She leaned forward in Tidus face with a large grin on her face. She grabbed hold of his arm and started bouncing. You had to start to fear her when she started bouncing. Tidus' arms fell down and he was dragged into her hopping pace.  
  
"You're going to help make the wedding cake of course! It'll be gigantic with seventeen layers and roses made out of white frosting. The groom and bride figures standing on top will have to look just like our happy couple! It's going to have pink little lace trimmings around it and-"  
  
That whole speech of hers only took around five seconds to blurt out. She probably would have continued with her little ranting had not Wakka interrupted her.  
  
"Slow down, ya? Who say anyone's getting married to anyone?" he announced, hoping this would stop Selphie's romantic mind for scheming the future wedding on the island. Unfortunately, it only seemed to encourage her.  
  
"I did and it's going to be spectacular and huge! There will have to white doves and rows of seats for all those guests. It's all going to be outside, including the reception. There'll be cute white umbrellas over tables and chairs with ribbons. Romantic piano concertos will play and their love will be felt by all the guests."  
  
As Selphie's eyes got dreamy and Tidus and Wakka stood there perplexed by all her rambling words, Sora and Kairi sneaked off towards the waterfall near the 'secret' place. They ran as fast as they could, their hands still joined. They saved their talking until they reached their goal destination.  
  
They gulped for air as they sat on the rocks near the waterfall. Their breathing was ragged and they were huffing and puffing. Sora let go off her hand to slip his fingers into the water. He brought the refreshing substance up to face, hoping it would cool of his heated cheeks and forehead. She proceeded to follow his lead and do the same. Only after their breathing had calmed and their faces were less hot did they exchange glances. Sora started chuckling which led to Kairi giggling. The next thing they knew they were leaning against each other, their stomachs hurting from laughing so hard and long.  
  
"Could you imagine us married?" Sora mumbled, staring at his girlfriend in embarrassment.  
  
"As much as I like you Sora, I have to say that's not going to happen for a while," Kairi spoke, pushing playfully at Sora. She gave him a loving smile and leaned forward to give him a kiss only to have them ripped apart forcefully by an intruder.  
  
Kairi fell into the waterfall and Sora reached out to grab her. He only ended up falling into the water with a splash. Sora looked up at their interrupter and met aquamarine eyes flaming with anger and denial.  
  
"And I have to say that it's _never_ going to happen," Riku said.  
  
** {----{End of Chapter Nine}----} TBC**  
  
_Author's Ending Notes:_ This was short and pointless. I just needed to update so everyone didn't think I died. Anyway, Riku's reaction is next chapter. Obviously he isn't too happy about their arrangement. Is it only going to get worse or will he welcome them with open arms? Don't count on it. 


End file.
